The Perfect Soldier
by LiLMissWhit
Summary: Her life has been a constant battle of staying ahead of the bad guys. Turns out, joining the Stargate program was no different. Crossover with Dark Angel.
1. Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy

Author's Note

Those this fic is technically a crossover with the Dark Angel series, it simply borrows its ideas (that transgenics do exist). No active characters (such as Max) are planned on making an appearance as of yet, hence my decision to post this under the Stargate Category. I fully realize that the two shows do not coincide time-wise (Stargate set at present, Dark Angel set in 2020); I'm using my almighty power to assume that genetic experimentation began in the 1970's, with the first successful X-5 super soldier produced in 1985. (If you don't have any idea about anything Dark Angel, you should be fine, though I would suggest looking into it.) Also, FYI, Vandenberg is an Air Force Base in Lompoc, California.

Disclaimer: I do not own rights to either the Stargate series or Dark Angel, but am simply borrowing their likeness for entertainment purposes only. And now... dun dun dun dun...

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**Chapter One: Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy**

"Lieutenant Faith, report to General Stachiotta's office immediately." Cassidy's heart quickened upon hearing her name. She was a month fresh out of the Academy and was currently serving at Vandenberg pending further orders. There had been a few rumors that she was to be assigned quickly, but that had been a week ago, and she had heard nothing since.

As she put down the dumbbells she was working with, the too often thought she had been discovered popped into her mind. 'Don't be silly,' she thought, 'you have been free for twelve years. They haven't found you yet, nor are they going to find you.' Walking out of the gym, Cassidy turned right and headed for the elevator that would take her to the basement level that housed the general's office. The Air Force was always careful with their higher-ups. As she stepped into the car, doubts about her confidence began to surface. It was an argument she had been having with herself since the beginning. Part of her wanted to believe she would be safe forever and never have to worry about them again; the other part knew better. 'The last time you grew overconfident, you were almost caught.' The reminder caused her body to unintentionally shiver. How she had escaped their grasp in New York was still a puzzle to her, but she didn't take her luck for granted. That had been three years ago, though, and she had gone undetected since then.

Once the elevator had gone four floors down, its doors opened. Though the Air Force did go to great lengths to insure their important people were safeguarded, they had no eye for decoration. The walls were bare, saving for the yellow-painted arrows and various titles to indicate where one was. The ceiling remained unfinished, showing off instead a vast array of pipes and lines running every which way. In essence, the entire corridor was a variety of gray. Two lefts and a right later, Cassidy was standing in front of General Stachiotta's door, wondering what it was that the General wanted exactly. The suspicion that she had been found out was boiling through her veins, and she again reconsidered her having joined the Air Force. It had seemed like a good idea initially: it would provide her a place with regulations and orders, something that she had yearned since she had escaped. The difference between the Air Force and the other place was that she was allowed freedom. After having spent all the years since nine fighting to stay alive, living off the kindness of other people, a nineteen-year-old Cassidy was glad to have structure again. An image of Mama Tara wafted into her mind, causing her to grimace in remorse. Someday, they would pay for all the losses they had caused her.

Finally conjuring up enough gull, Cassidy raised her hand and knocked four times on the door, then awaited permission to enter. The door opened, surprising Cassidy. It was an unusual event for a general to open the doors himself. The rarity of it did not escape Cassidy as she slipped into attention mode and saluted the general. Her suspicions came back again and her body silently prepared itself to escape if need-be. "Second Lieutenant Cassidy Faith reporting as requested, General."

General Stachiotta nodded. "At ease, Lieutenant. Please, come in." Cassidy stepped into his office and looked around, feeling instantly calmer as she realized they were the only two in the room. She was comforted in the thought that if the situation called for it, she could defeat Stachiotta in hand-to-hand combat without breaking a sweat. But, nothing was for certain and everyone brought their own surprise into a fight. Cassidy's training, both Air Force and the other facility, reminded her not to take anything for granted as she sat down. "I was reviewing your file today, Cassidy, and remain impressed by your athletic abilities. Your course record at the academy remains yet to be beaten and your scores on your aptitude tests are striking."

Cassidy inwardly flinched at the mention of her course record. All through the academy she had intentionally not used her abilities to her benefit, in fact, she often only went a very small amount of what she was capable of. Each time she allowed herself to be beaten, her inner soldier grew angrier. If she was superior, she should be able to exhibit her talents; however, those talents would be taken notice of immediately, and she didn't feel like explaining how she had been trained to be a perfect soldier since birth until the age of nine. The day she had set the course record had been on the anniversary of Mama Tara's death, more like slaughtering, and she couldn't resist running off some of her anger. If they had been impressed by her performance on the course, they would have shat themselves when she went out later for a private work out. "Thank you, sir."

The general closed the file laying on his desk, then placed both hands over it, clasped. "I am not the only one who has taken notice of your exceptionality, Miss Faith. Today, I was contacted by General Hammond of Cheyenne Mountain with the request that you be transferred to his program."

Her mind raced. "Cheyenne Mountain. Is that not where NORAD is housed, General?"

"Excellent recall, Cassidy. Yes, that is where NORAD calls home; however, General Hammond is part of another program there. The Deep-Space Radar Telemetry program has been active for eight years now."

Cassidy raised an eyebrow. "They housed a deep-space radar program in the same mountain as NORAD?" The general nodded his head, obviously accustomed on not speculating into the Air Force's decisions. "All right, but why would they need me there, General? I have no expertise whatsoever in the field of deep-space radar. I'm afraid I'd be quite useless in that environment."

"I was not apprised in exactly what capacity you will serve there, Lieutenant."

Doubtful of the entire situation, Cassidy quickly devised an escape plan if the need came to it. Deep-space radar and NORAD in the same mountain? It was like placing the President and insurance salesman in the same room for safekeeping. Unorthodox at best. "When am I expected to deploy, sir?"

The General quickly checked a paper the file on his desk before replying. "You're not."

"Excuse me, General?"

"What I mean is, before being officially assigned to the program, you must undergo an interview with Mountain representatives. From there it will be decided if you are stationed there. The representatives are due to arrive on base within thirty minutes, giving you ample time to prepare yourself." He indicated the clothes she was wearing, and she realized that she was in her work out clothes.

'If only they were sweaty.' The thought of being able to exert herself to that point was a delicious one. Her last full workout had been months ago, having been observed too closely since. Though she was still in perfect shape, as her genetics wouldn't allow anything else, her body yearned to train like she was made to. "Right, thank you, General. Which airway are the representatives due to arrive on? I will meet them there."

"Four, Lieutenant. You are scheduled to have your meeting in Briefing Room Beta."

Cassidy raised an eyebrow. "Your private briefing room, General?"

The General nodded. "The Cheyenne Mountain representatives requested a private environment with no recording devices. All other conference rooms are tapped except for this one. Dismissed, Second Lieutenant."

Cassidy nodded obligingly, then stood up, saluted, and exited his office. Quickly, she headed once again to the elevator and went to the surface. Breaking into a jog, she headed toward the barracks which she was calling home. Apparently, the Air Force did not approve of privacy, as she had been sharing a room with sixteen other women for nearly a year now. Not that she was unaccustomed to it, as she had literally been raised with the same conditions. Group situations were definitely nothing new to her.

Using her identification badge to gain entrance to the barracks, Cassidy was again reminded of the disgusting nature of some humans. The fact that fellow soldiers would be so perverse as to actually rape one of their own was not only despicable, but an act that would be swiftly followed by death if she ever happened upon it. Cassidy casually strolled to her bunk and rummaged through her trunk. The articles of clothing she was looking for didn't take her long to find, and within minutes she had traded her black shorts and t-shirt for camouflage pants and a black tank top. She was off-duty and there was no training exercises scheduled for the day, so Cassidy couldn't find the motivation to put on her duty uniform. With the weather they were having in Vandenberg so far, her pants seemed a bit too warm for the average person. For the average perfect soldier with a wide variety of DNA, she was perfectly fine in a sweatshirt, jeans, and a winter coat on in one hundred degree weather. Cassidy often attributed that adaptation to her cheetah DNA, which also definitely helped in the running area.

After pulling her long, dark chocolate hair out of its pony tail, she did a quick run-over of her appearance before putting on her Air Force assigned boots, mandatory black, of course. Quickly, she folded her work-out clothes neatly and put them back in her trunk. With a scan of the room she was out the door and headed to Four. Cassidy nodded her head at a few of the other Air Force personnel walking about, saluting those necessary, but otherwise keeping to herself. Her Manticore training had taught her that unnecessary attachments were deadly ones. It didn't bother her that she didn't have any friends; she thought of it as protecting all of the innocent people on the base. If Manticore found out where she was they would stop at nothing to capture her, including killing off employees of the Unites States government. Another flash of Mama Tara's body caused Cassidy's face to flinch for an unnoticeable second. She had been the only human being Cassidy had allowed herself to love, and it got her killed. The thought fueled Cassidy into a slow jog, which to outsiders appeared to be a mild run. Airway Four was situated precisely two miles away from her barracks, and she made it there in eight minutes. Not even out of breath, she went into the control room to find the director on duty.

"Lieutenant, is the transport from Colorado on schedule?"

Lieutenant Watson turned around to greet the Second Lieutenant before him with lingering eyes. Cassidy was known around the base as a beautiful--though some claimed that description wasn't enough--woman. It was certainly a pleasure for Watson to be in close proximity of her, even though he was married with two kids. 'Couldn't hurt to look,' he thought to himself as he checked the flight schedule. "ETA One minute, Lieutenant. Appears you are right on time."

Cassidy nodded respectfully, remaining silent at the appraisal. It wasn't worth her time nor energy to risk her job out of something as petty as someone staring at her. Exiting the building, she stood at the end of the runway and stared at the sky. Her transgenic eyes immediately located the plane that was headed toward Four and she calculated precisely where it would stop. Walking toward that point, she smirked at the thought of having a little fun with her possibly new bosses.

A minute later, as the plane touched its wheels tentatively on the runway for the first time, it was an alarmed Major Williams that requested Colonel O'Neill to the cockpit. "Colonel, if I'm not mistaken, is that not a woman standing at the end of our runway?"

Colonel O'Neill took a hard look at the spot the plane was heading at a fast rate to and nodded his head. "What is she doing?" The question had been asked after deciding it was not any of the controllers, as they were all sporting bright orange.

"Colonel, if I don't swerve our plane off the runway, we'll hit her straight on."

The Colonel watched as the controllers took no notice of the woman standing in their path. Little did he know that they had grown accustomed to Cassidy's actions on the runway. After ten times of the same stunt, they figured she knew what she was doing. That didn't stop the bet pool from dwindling any, each controller debating which time she'd finally get hit. "She'll get out of the way, Major, continue as usual." A doubtful Jack remained in the cockpit, however, interested at the fellow officer's actions.

Major Williams hands shook as the plane drew closer to Cassidy. Fifty feet, Thirty feet, Ten feet... and just when he expected her body to splat all over his beautiful plane, the flier came to a halt, no more than a half inch from Cassidy's head. "Holy shit." Was all he could murmur before he initiated shutdown procedures. Jack didn't know whether to be impressed or pissed as he turned around and headed toward the door. Either way, he was going to meet her.

After the door had opened, however, he realized he wouldn't have to go looking for the daredevil, as she appeared at the end of the stairs. Gracefully, she slid into attention and saluted the Colonel. As Daniel came around the corner and nearly bumped Jack down the stairs, he indicated that she was to stand at ease. "Who is this, Jack?" Daniel asked the obvious question quietly as they descended from the plane.

Cassidy raised an eyebrow at the question, as her highly developed hearing had caught it, but neglected to answer. One may grow suspicious of a person who could hear that well after being so close to a plane's engines. 'Then again,' she thought, 'one may grow suspicious of someone being able to hear that well at all.'

"That was a pretty dumb stunt, Miss."

"And this coming from a man who does some pretty dumb stuff everyday." Daniel's side comment did not go unnoticed to Jack, though he refused to reply. Daniel enjoyed the moment of silence by slipping a glance at the daredevil, who seemed to him to be one of the most perfect specimens of women he had seen in a long time, perhaps had ever seen. Every inch of her permeated with beauty, causing him to draw the conclusion that her creation had taken much longer than his own. Then again, his hormones were raging after having gone all this time without Share', his beautiful wife. After another stolen glance, he redirected his attention to Jack, who was taking too much time staring at a file he had been studying at for the past hour.

Cassidy decided that she would have to be the one to exchange pleasantries. "Actually, my name is Second Lieutenant Cassidy Faith and I believe it is me whom you flew all the way from Colorado to see. General Stachiotta generously allowed us use of his personal briefing room, so if you'll follow me..."

Colonel O'Neill delivered Cassidy a hard amused stare before stepping forward to indicate his willingness to allow her to lead. She certainly was crazy enough to take risks, a quality he felt the SGC program needed more of in their soldiers. Already, he felt a kinship with the girl. But, stupidity was definitely not something they needed at the mountain either. The required chastising that came with his rank would come later in the briefing room; until then, he would enjoy a few minutes of figuring out how the hell she designated the exact spot the plane would come to a stop at.

The three made quite a trio walking into the building that housed the general's conference room, appropriately located on the third level. Here was the Colonel, definitely not a new officer on the block; Cassidy, the beautiful, young Second Lieutenant; and Daniel, the civilian archaeologist. A few sideways stares told Jack he wasn't the only one who had noticed the oddity of it all, but he continued to go without speaking, allowing the elevator to taken the three levels underground before opening. "It is down the hall, three rights, two lefts, and one right." Cassidy explained as she continued to lead, having nothing else interesting to say.

Sure enough, her instructions had been perfect and they gained entry to the conference room with Cassidy's badge, which had been allowed access to the room only once within the ten minute timeframe. As soon as Daniel had closed the door, she gestured around. "The General informed me this room has no devices whatsoever that could capture our conversation, as per your request."

"Of course, but you'll excuse me if I have a quick look around." Cassidy noddeddismissively and stood aside as Jack removed a locater wand from the black briefcase he had been carrying. As he swept the room for any bugs or cameras, Cassidy's mind raced in theories as to why so much precaution was being taken for deep space telemetry. One may think that there were aliens involved or something. The preposterous thought nearly caused Cassidy to crack a smile. Nearly.

As if reading Cassidy's thoughts, Daniel answered her question for her. "We at DSRT like to keep low profiles as well as utmost secrecy regarding our program."

Jack finished up and placed his tool back in its appropriate place. "You're not military." It was an observation and not a question.

As Daniel opened his mouth, Jack shook his head. He always knew Danny-boy stuck out like a sore thumb, but then again, lately he had assumed it was just him. SG-1's prized archaeologist was certainly becoming more proficient at military operations and living. "No, he is a civilian specialist with our program."

Cassidy's eyes narrowed immediately in suspicion. "What is it exactly you specialize in?"

"Archaeology and Ancient Languages... for the most part." Daniel suddenly became increasingly distracted at the newest perfection had found on the girl: her glare.

Just when Jack thought the girl couldn't look anymore angry, she surprised him. "I see. And Colonel, would you care to explain what an archaeologist does with Deep Space Radar Telemetry?"

"No." His question infuriated Cassidy even more, but she struggled to channel her anger through a calm exterior. It was no time to lose her head, especially if these two were Manticore operatives. "Lieutenant Faith, if you'll have a seat and sign these non-disclosure forms I have with me, we'll be able to answer all your questions and more."

Cassidy complied with his order, strangely walking behind both men before strategically taking the seat nearest to the door. It provided two means of superiority: if she needed to escape, her genetically enhanced movement would have her out the door before they could take notice or if they wanted to escape, she could blockade the door before they had the chance. She took comfort in the thought that neither men were of Manticore creation, as indicated by the lack of barcodes on their neck, but that certainly didn't mean they didn't work for the evil corporation. Both Daniel and Jack took seats facing each other at the table and next to Cassidy before Jack slid her the large stack of papers.

"If you'd like to read through all of them before you sign them, you are more than welcome, but I'd be more than happy to provide you with the Reader's Digest version." Cassidy stared him down silently, which Jack took as an indication to go ahead. "If you repeat any of what we're about to tell you, you will become America's Most Wanted."

Cassidy raised an eyebrow at the underlined threat, then quickly scrawled her name. She stared at her signature and was reminded of a time she had been only referred to as X5-454. That was a long time ago, though, and she hadn't heard those numbers since her run-in with Zack six years ago, shortly after the murder of her foster mother. Cassidy picked up the papers and tossed them in Jack's general direction, who simply noted her signature then slipped them off to the side.

Daniel opened the file he had been carrying, mimicked by Jack's doing the same, and quietly read over a few paragraphs before looking up again, debating whether he or Jack would take the lead. He knew from experience Jack wasn't exactly the best at diplomacy, and General Hammond had stressed that this girl was a high priority for the SGC. "You seem to have impressed quite a few people with your abilities, Miss Faith."

Cassidy switched her attention to Daniel, who immediately regretted the choice to speak first. "I seem to have been told that quite often these days."

"Course record at the Academy, extensive knowledge of all weapons, excellent academic records... overall, a commendable service for a twenty-one-year-old fresh out of the Academy, Lieutenant." Jack's compliment did not go unnoticed to Cassidy, who had been trained to respect the opinions of her superiors. In the Air Force, it had been lectured into them; At Manticore, they had other means. "I notice here you also trained with a Black Ops Unit for six weeks out of your stay at the Academy. That is a rare privilege, indeed. I hear they only take five cadets every two years."

"Actually, Colonel, it's two cadets every five years and only one previously has been a woman."

Jack nodded, not at all surprised by the information. "How were those conditions for you? Officers who have served overseas have dropped out due to the grueling conditions of Black Ops training."

Cassidy simply shrugged. It was the closest she had come to Manticore training, though far more civilized and less intense. Those six weeks had been like heaven to her underused muscles. "I survived and was thankful for the opportunity."

"You have several recommendations from instructors, your leader in the Black Ops unit, and General Stachiotta, as well, Lieutenant. It seems you have impressed quite a few people."

"I do what I am told and to the best of my ability." The lie rolled off Cassidy's tongue easily. If she had performed to the best of her ability, she would not be wasting her time with two men representing a program referred to oddly by a word that was synonymous with 'dessert'. No, if she had exhibited her true abilities, she had a feeling that she would be either a lab being dissected or being shown off as the Air Force's super soldier.

Jack folded his arms. "It would seem like you are perfect candidate for our program, then, Lieutenant. Provided you accept, of course."

"If you'll excuse my bluntness, Colonel, what talents do I have that would be of benefit to a Space Radar program? As I'm sure you have seen, I majored in Command, Psychological Warfare, and Military Theory at the Academy. I am not correlating any of those with radar."

Daniel stared at the two Air Force officers for a second, debating whether to ask his question. "Military Theory?"

Cassidy and Jack spoke in unison. "Required for Command Major. Speculation in various team formations, as well as extensive study into military history and use of current and future weapons in situations." They looked at each other after finished reciting the Air Force Academy Handbook.

"Right." Daniel decided immediately that Jack had taken the same class at the Academy, because that type of information was definitely not available from the Simpsons. "Miss Faith, I believe it is time for Jack and I to tell you the real program that calls Cheyenne Mountain home."Cassidy feigned interest, though her senses were all telling her to be careful. Any mention of Manticore or genetic manipulation and she was out of there.

"The Stargate Command is a multi-billion dollar project that specializes in the pursuit of interplanetary exploration via a device called the Stargate. Officially, our goal is to acquire technology that can defend earth from alien invasion, but we also have reached out diplomatically with other races to form several allies against one common enemy: The Goa'uld. Stargate Command has been in operation for eight years now. There are sixteen teams within the Stargate program, all of each comprised of both military personnel and civilian consultants. Jack and I belong to SG-1, an exploration team. We have two other team members as well, though both are off-world at the moment."

"Make that twenty-four, Danny." The Colonel's reference to the twenty-three languages Daniel spoke caused the two to crack a smile, both aware Jack was referring to 'techno babble' as the twenty-forth. Jack studied Cassidy's face for any hint of surprise. He had only gone on one other recruitment trip, and the Captain had laughed his head off until he realized no one else was laughing, at which time he grew silent for a full hour before asking Sam to repeat everything she had just said. That thought amused Jack as the contemplative Cassidy absorbed the information she had just been given.

'Aliens and a porthole to other universes! These guys must think I'm crazy!' Cassidy's mind raced at the possibilities. 'Then again, if I told them I was a genetically enhanced super soldier that has been trained from birth by a corporation who hoped to sell us to the highest bidder, I'm sure they'd accept that idea with their morning coffee as well.'

"I know this is a lot to take in, Miss Faith. Yes, aliens are real. Yes, we can travel to other worlds. It may be hard to believe at first, but I can assure you what we are saying is true."

Cassidy monitored Daniel discretely and realized he was giving off no indications of lying. "How did this Stargate come into our possession?" Cassidy asked the intuitive question after deciding she'd believe the two men for now.

"It was discovered by accident by Dr. Langford during an archaeological digin the fifties. No one knew how it worked or what exactly it did until the boy genius here came into the picture. Aside from that, the Goa'uld once inhabited this planet and used humans as hosts. That was way back when, we're talking ancient Egypt here. There was a revolt and the gate was buried."

Studying Jack in the same way she had studied Daniel, she realized he was telling the truth as well. "The Dr. Jackson who once speculated that the pyramids were built by aliens?"

"Yes, I'm surprised that you-"

Cassidy quickly interrupted. "Had a friend that was interested in archaeology back when. You're presumed to be in hiding after the widespread public academic rejection for your claims, Doctor." She couldn't tell them that she had studied his findingswhile trying to figure out just how far back Manticore claimed its roots.They did not just want super soldiers, they wanted genius super soldiers. Sometimes, Cassidy felt like a sponge with all the information she was able to retain. "You said hosts, Colonel." It was a question, but worded as a statement.

Daniel nodded, taking the lead again. "The Goa'uld are parasitic beings who require human forms in order to remain alive. Once inside the body, the Goa'uld attach themselves to the brain stem and spinal cord."

"So that they are able to control motor functions?"

Jack nodded at Cassidy's guess. "The snakes take possession of the body, though the hosts mind remains intact. It's a lot like watching a movie for the host: they can't do anything about what their body is doing."

"So, these beings are superior to ourselves?"

"No, the Goa'uld are not technically superior to us, as exhibited by the number of times we have defeated them. The technology they have in their possession, though far beyond anything we have on Earth, has all been stolen from one race or another spanning the universe. The Stargate System itself was built by the Ancients."

Cassidy sat back in her chair and thought some more. "You spoke of allies."

"Two most notable ones are the Asgard and Tok'ra. The Asgard are superior to the Goa'uld in terms of technology, and though Earth is in within their protective planets, they are a dying race as they cannot reproduce and are currently involved in a war with the Replicators, artificial intelligence machines. The Tok'ra have been an underground movement against the Goa'uld for quite some time now, with little success. It is no wonder as they are pompous, stuck-up beings."

"Jack has had a few negative run-ins with the Tok'ra."

Cassidy nodded after Daniel stated the obvious. "Though this fairy tale is all well and good, I am still confused as to what capacity it is that I am to serve in the SGC."

"General Hammond took notice of your remarkable skills and requested that you be recruited for SG-10. You will be second in command under Colonel Mason."

Cassidy's attention was fixated on the 'second in command' part of the line. It was an honor indeed to be accepted for a 2IC at only Second Lieutenant. One that she would have a hard time turning down. "I take it I don't get a couple of weeks to get over the fact that I think you are both delusional?"

Jack shook his head. "You have precisely five minutes before we are due to report back to our plane. That time is all yours."

Jack and Daniel stood up and walked out of the conference room, closing the door behind them. Cassidy listened intently for a second, only to realize the room was sound proof. She had already made her decision, but decided it would be appropriate for the two men to discuss their observations. "So, what do you think, Jack?"

Jack thought for a moment about the girl who was young enough to be his daughter. "Reminds me of myself. She'll do it."

Daniel nodded in agreement. "She is far more reserved that other officers we have presented this to."

"Hell, Daniel, she was far more reserved than some officers who went through the gate and experienced the snakes firsthand."

"No wonder General Hammond was practically salivating over her. She seems like a perfect candidate for the job."

Jack nodded in agreement. He had already discussed with the General his thoughts on her before embarking on the trip. Jack had even gone so far as to make a move to have her added to SG-1, though he liked the way his small group worked as it was now, it could not hurt to have a soldier like Cassidy under his direct command. But, Hammond had pointed out that Jack already had the pick of the litter and being as the SGC depended heavily on SG-1's activities, it would be appropriate to have another team that could take over the flagship position if necessary.

"I'll do it." Cassidy said simply as soon as the door opened. Both men turned around and issued Cassidy their informal welcomes.

"You have only ten minutes to get your belongings, then I'm afraid we need to leave."

"That worried about me going and telling a friend, are you?"

Jack shrugged. "Never can be too careful, Lieutenant."

Cassidy nodded in agreement. "Well, in any case, I'm ready."

"No personal effects you need to get your hands on, Cassidy? Once you're in the mountain, you won't be leaving for quite some time, I'm afraid."

Shaking her head in the negative, Cassidy began strolling for the elevator. "I'm not a big one for having a bunch of belongings. All I needare my dog tags anyway, everything else is Air Force issue." The two men followed behind, wondering if they were going to solve the mystery of their new recruit, but deciding that was best saved for another day. For now, they had to get her into Cheyenne Mountain and introduced to General Hammond.

Jack paused before the elevator doors opened, suddenly remembering his duty as a colonel. "By the way, Lieutenant, that stunt you pulled earlier was irresponsible and stupid."

Cassidy stared intently at him for a moment. "And I bet you wish that you knew how to do it."

"Hell yes."

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**Chapter Two Coming Soon. Please Review!**


	2. Tainted

Author's Note

Bug-Eyed Monster: In C.R.E.A.M., Episode 5 in the First Season of Dark Angel, they show Max being able to calculate where the ball lands in a game of roulette. I used the same concept to enable Cassidy to determine where the plane would land.

cooncat: I appreciate your suggestions! The 2IC will be explained in this chapter, hopefully. It may not coincide exactly with reality, but oh well :D

And to the rest of you, thanks for the reviews!

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**Chapter Two: Tainted**

Cassidy shifted in her seat on board the plane. They had only been on for ten minutes, and she was looking forward to the next three hours of solitude. It wasn't everyday that a soldier could enjoy a few moments of silence to contemplate her recent happenings. For Cassidy, however, her thoughts often lead to the impending threat Manticore held on her life, and inevitably, to the loss of the only mother figure she had ever known.

All those years ago, when she had first escaped her prison, she could not have known how much pain her freedom would bring. The constant threat of recapture, the danger of being discovered, and the knowledge that Manticore would do anything to get their X5's back struck a chord of fear in her heart. It was the only thing she had ever been afraid of: the revoking of her freedom.

For the first nine years of her life, she had struggled to be the best she could be. Cassidy had fought to meet all of Manticore's requirements, to go beyond them. Her willing compliance had lead to a position under X5-599, Zack as her family had called him. It sickened her ten years later to think that she had saluted men such as Lydecker, even going as far as respecting them when she was younger. How naïve she had been.

Movement from the seat Jack was occupying shifted her attention. Silently, Cassidy wondered if the man truly knew what it was to be a slave. He had come to be a soldier by choice, while Cassidy had been born into it. 'I wonder what he would do if he found out that I wasn't human.' The thought plagued Cassidy as she continued to stare at the Colonel, who was deeply involved in a file in front of him. Fixating on her history, Cassidy turned her head again, this time to stare out the window.

The sun was beginning to set, striking brilliant colors into the sky she now inhabited. At one time, she had spent quite a bit of time simply staring into 'God's masterpiece,' wondering what it was that her life had in store for her. During those moments, she could almost feel the colors resonate through her soul, touching all the dark recesses and emptying her conscious of any worry. But, that time was now long gone, and all Cassidy saw when the sun went down was muted colors of orange and red. It no longer reminded her of happiness and solitude. Instead, it was a warning of the impending darkness about to cover the continent. It wasn't the darkness she was afraid of, as she could see perfectly fine in the dark due to feline genetic coding; no, it was the things that went bump in the night that made her alert. That was when they had come for her before: in the darkness when she was unprepared.

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_Three years prior_

Cassidy returned from her high school to a house consumed by yummy smells of chocolate chip cookies. It had been another monotonous day of school: learning about things she found redundant and boring, afraid to let on that she could handle more than she was being given. Excellence always brought about attention, something that she had to remind herself everyday before she walked to school. It wasn't hard to mute her abilities academically, she simply occasionally filled in the wrong answer on purpose, giving the impression that she was an average student.

Athletics was where Cassidy struggled the most. Not confident in her ability to suppress her abilities, Cassidy never allowed herself to participate in the various sports her school offered. It frustrated her to watch and know she could contribute something to the team. She wasn't suffering from lack of exercise, as she snuck out in the depths of the night to go running or to practice her fighting regime, but rather, it was the longing to belong to a group of people who worked together.

She had her family, and for the first time since she had escaped Manticore, Cassidy felt at peace with going home. But, team conditions had been pounded into Cassidy since she had been able to walk. Growing up in barracks with your team caused one to get used to group situations. Since her escape, however, Cassidy knew that groups would not have a positive effect on her life. The less people knew about her the better. So, she went to school everyday, avoiding any true connections with people, yet maintaining the status of being average.

Mama Tara had never known what her foster child was capable of or what she was. Cassidy allowed the woman to live in ignorance for the entire year she had resided with her, a mistake that she regretted even now. When she had stepped into the house on that day, she had not suspected what trap lay before her. Choosing to stay late at the school in order to complete a mandatory project, the young soldier had made it home just after the sun had set on that fateful December day. It was almost cliché, feeling the excitement of the impending holiday growing closer, knowing this year she would celebrate it with someone she loved. The sky had come alive for her that night and had even offered the first tentative flakes of the storm that was to strike later that night. Cassidy hadn't been around long enough to enjoy the snowfall.

After putting her backpack away in the closet, and hanging up the coat she didn't need, Cassidy followed the smell of cookies toward the kitchen. As she grew closer, however, her senses went haywire. Something about her environment wasn't right. It was tainted. Cassidy spent her nights roaming the house undetected, having nothing else to do as she rarely slept. Every piece of furniture, every portrait on the walls, had a special place and if moved even in the slightest, she knew. Pausing in the middle of the holiday, Cassidy realized the thing out of place was the smell of the house. The cookies were burning, an event that was considered sacrilegious to Mama Tara. Above all things she never allowed food to burn. Never.

Cassidy rushed into the kitchen to find her foster mother on the floor, gunshot to the chest. Racing to her, Cassidy grabbed onto a towel nearby and immediately applied pressure to the wound. It was first aid at Manticore all over again, except very real this time. "Mama?" Inside, Cassidy was screaming relentlessly, outside she maintained a calm demeanor. Sometimes she wished she could express herself as other humans did, wearing their emotions openly for all to see. Cassidy had been trained to do otherwise, to never allow the enemy to know they had gotten the better of her. No matter how much she fought against her training, it was engrained into her.

Wheezing accompanied with gurgling informed Cassidy that Tara's lungs were beginning to fill with blood. Desperate, she reached for the phone and attempted to dial 911, only to find it didn't work. "I'll get help, I promise. Just hold on. Please, hold on." It was more of a plea than a reassuring statement. Placing Tara's hand firmly on the wound, Cassidy stood up.

Before she could move, her senses went wild again, and her inner soldier immediately scolded her for her carelessness. Cassidy had allowed emotion to get in the way, to force her out of her element and make her unaware of her surroundings. She hadn't even considered where Tara had gotten the gunshot wound or whom it had come from. And now, she was going to pay for it.

Cassidy knew what was coming due to the microwave's reflective door before the kick threw her across the room. Instantly popping back up again, she saw what she had been hoping would never come: A Manticore soldier standing in her house, now hovering over Tara's wounded body. "X5-454, I have orders to take you back to base."

Stepping forward defensively, Cassidy did nothing but glare. Silence penetrated the air between the two soldiers, each standing ready for any attack the other might impose. Her hesitation was immediately halted when Cassidy observed the soldier crouch by her foster mother. Looking up with a smirk, he extended his hand to the towel that was become soaked with blood. Cassidy knew that Tara had already lost an enormous amount of blood and she needed help as soon as possible. "Get away from her."

The other soldier looked up in surprise, but did not comply. Instead, he reached out and grabbed hold of Tara's arm. "I do not understand why you choose to live amongst them. They're so weak."

A human bone can be a fragile thing in the right conditions. It can be fractured, broken, shattered, so many things can be done to the infrastructure of the human body while the person is still alive. Tara was no different. Her aging bones provided little resistance to the super soldier's strength, and Cassidy watched in horror as the arm broke. The effects of the surprise attack having worn off, Cassidy blurred to the spot the other soldier had been crouching and kicked him in the face, sending him sailing across the floor into the oven.

The male got up immediately and ran back towards her. Cassidy had been prepared for the move, and completed a successful flip over his head, ending with a swift kick with both legs square in the back. He flew forward again, this time face planting into the floor. When he rose this time, however, he brought with him his gun. Cassidy's training took over and she felt exhilarated with the sudden rush of adrenaline in her system. Executing a perfect zigzag formation, she managed to avoid the bullets the soldier had been shooting at her. She hadn't been counting on the sudden punch to the face that was delivered when she came near.

Cassidy's eyes met Tara's as she flew into the wall, and she could only guess what was going through her mind. Never before had she exhibited such prowess for defending herself, but Cassidy no longer cared whether Tara knew she was a genetic freak. All the mattered to her was having Tara survive. The moment of distraction provided the male soldier enough time to shoot off another flurry of bullets, this time one hitting its mark in Cassidy's stomach.

Doubling over in pain, Cassidy allowed the other soldier to see weakness. She knew Manticore's orders would be for him to take her alive. They invested literally millions of dollars into every soldier and wouldn't want to throw that money away. Forcing herself to concentrate on his position rather than the pain that was resonating strongly from the hole in her abdomen, she realized he was walking toward her.

When he was five feet away, she suddenly flew up and used all her strength to kick him in the knee, causing it to give way under the pressure. As he crumpled down in agony, she dove for the gun. The two soldiers fought, each in pain from their injuries, but it was Cassidy who finally gained possession of the weapon. Without hesitation she fired at the other soldier between the eyes. Any remorse that may have come from killing another human being had long ago left her range of emotions.

After being satisfied that he was dead, Cassidy turned and stumbled back to her mother. "Ma? Can you hear me?" Tara's breathing was sporadic and her heart rate was dropping. Cassidy fell to her knees and threw the gun across the room in despair. "Mama, please, open your eyes. Please."

The plea was miraculously complied with as Tara's eyelids fluttered open, instantly focusing on her daughter of only a year. Her mouth opened as if she was trying to say something, but all that came out was the raspy sounds of dying breaths. Cassidy leaned over and desperately applied pressure to Tara's chest, forgetting momentarily about her own gunshot wound. Of all the things she was capable of, of all the enhancements Manticore had given her, they had forgotten to give her the power of God. She wished with all her might she could fix Tara with only a touch, but she had learned long ago wishing was not going to change anything. Action was all there was in the world, and for Tara, any action was too late.

Cassidy's hand slid up to Tara's face as teardrops began to fall. She hadn't yet experienced the depths of despair she was going through; she was unaccustomed to the feelings of losing someone she loved. "I would die for you, Mama. I would die if it would make you live." Her words seemed empty and hollow, echoing through the kitchen and ringing back into Cassidy's ears. "What am I supposed to do without you? Please don't leave me alone. Please."

Her begging was ceased by what appeared to be a small smile crossing Tara's face. Cassidy's enhanced hearing picked up on the soft "I love you" that escaped Tara's lips in her dying breaths.

It was three words that Cassidy had been taught were weakness. Love was nothing but an advantage to the enemy. Now, however, sitting in a house by the only mother she had ever known and with the only enemy she had, she didn't care what her training said. "I love you, too. Please, I don't want to be alone again." Cassidy's pleas quickly turned into sobs as she watched Tara's eyes roll into the back of her head. Her hands shaking, Cassidy felt the last time Tara would breathe on Earth. The tears had no dam as they flowed from Cassidy's inner corners of her soul, pouring out of her and onto the body of the most incredible human being Cassidy had ever known. She was alone again. There was not a person she could trust or depend on, just as Manticore had promised the outside world would be. Little had she known they would force their views to become her reality.

Signs of her humanity quickly dissipated as Cassidy came to the realization she would need to escape before the other soldier's backup arrived. She stood up, and immediately doubled over in pain, reminding her again of the injury she had sustained. Grabbing onto a handful of towels, Cassidy quickly applied pressure to her abdomen. With a last look at Tara, Cassidy turned to see her fellow soldier's blood painting the floor a deep red, leaving his body and flowing to join Tara's. Frustrated, Cassidy kicked the body to the opposite wall in disgust, not wanting Tara's pure blood to be tainted with the likes of a transgenic.

Having nothing else she could do, Cassidy stumbled down the hallway and grabbed the coat she had put away only a short while before. She slipped it on and constructed it in such a fashion that it wasn't too readily apparent she was injured, then quickly made her way out the door. The amount of blood she was losing was immediately evident to Cassidy, as she felt her movements become more sluggish and a wave of dizziness attacked her. She had made it two miles from her former home before collapsing in an alleyway. In New York, it wasn't out of the ordinary to see homeless in the streets, and she hoped she could play off of that preconceived notion.

Content with the thought of dying right where she was, Cassidy lay on the pavement and forced herself to breathe through the growing pain. She was past the capability of assessing her injury, afraid to let her guard down for an instant. If she were to die, she would die free and out of Manticore's reign, of that she was determined. Cassidy's breathing became shallow and her sight began to blur slightly. It was when she was convinced that she was about to die that a male figure advanced upon her quickly. He had blonde hair and blue eyes, but Cassidy was not fooled by the impression of humanity he had been coded with. As he had scoped out the area, she had caught a glimpse of his barcode. She began to panic as she became convinced that they had found her, that they would be able to sustain her just to return to base.

With the last bit of strength she had, Cassidy forced her leg up toward the soldier's stomach, but was stopped by the now stronger man. "No!" She cried out as he bent over and scooped up her body, but she could not fight any longer.

"Edy, it's Zack. I'm going to get you some help." Cassidy stared into the eyes of the man cradling her and realized that they looked familiar. But, her recognition was short-lived, as soon after everything went black.

Cassidy awoke two weeks later in the care of a private doctor in New Jersey. She was told that she had been dropped off by a young man about her age and that he had told the doctor only that her life was in danger and he needed to be discreet as possible. The doctor had complied, both out of immediate concern for his patient and because he had suffered the loss of his teenaged boy through a gang fight. Little did Doctor Malcolm know that Zack had chosen him for that very reason. Zack had provided her with a transfusion of his own blood, and coupled with her advanced healing, she was able to escape in the middle of the night a day after regaining consciousness. Doctor Malcolm never knew what had become of his patient, only left with a note with 'Thanks' scrawled on it. To his dismay, he also realized that any record of her having been in his care was also taken. A phone call informed him that the lab he had sent her blood to was broken into, and conveniently her blood had gone missing before any tests could be run.

* * *

_Present_

Cassidy involuntarily shuddered, almost though overcome with a wave of coldness, at the thought of her past. All that remained of that part of her life was a faint scar in the place that the bullet had invaded her body. Zack had never reattempted contact with Cassidy, though she felt as though he were watching over her occasionally. A month before the academy, in New Orleans, she was convinced he had been in the hotel room she had taken up residence in, though her attempts at creating a trap were unsuccessful.

"Are you cold?" Daniel's concerned voice brought Cassidy's attention from the now dark sky to him.

Shaking her head, she stood up and began to stroll around the cabin. One more hour and she would begin a new chapter of her life. "Twenty-one, huh?" Cassidy's questioning stare at Jack caused him to explain himself. "What I mean is, you're twenty-one. Awfully young to be brought into our line of work." Jack's thoughts were again on his son, who had died accidentally at the firing of his own gun. It was a tragic incident that Jack would never forgive himself for. Now, he was transferring his guilt and pain onto Cassidy, whom he now found too young to join up in the fight against the Goa'uld.

Cassidy's mind contemplated in telling Jack that technically she didn't have a birthday, but decided immediately against it. That would be a surefire way to direct unneeded attention towards herself. "Age has nothing to do with my ability to serve my country, sir."

Jack's doubtful gaze frustrated Cassidy, though she showed no signs of it. She was used to people underestimating her, especially superiors who seemed to determine that they had ample more experience than herself, a lowly Second Lieutenant fresh out of the Academy. Constant reminding that they had no knowledge of her past was her mind's way of dealing with it. "Even so, Lieutenant. Awfully young."

Wondering what was bringing on the sudden doubt in her abilities to serve, along with the suspicion that this was all a clever ruse to get her back to Manticore, were all catalysts in her decision to sit opposite of Jack, a concerned Daniel looking on. He knew somewhat the pain Jack went through everyday, having experienced the similar situation of losing his wife, but yet, he knew Jack's agony had to be tenfold. It was one thing to lose a wife, a complete other to lose a child. This young woman, whom Jack had been correct in assessing was too new to this world to see the things that they saw, couldn't have any idea the pain that had once stripped Jack of his will to live. Her neutral expression only further proved his assumption.

Silently, Cassidy observed as Jack's face flinched with painful memories, telling her that the subject of her youth was a sensitive one. The pondering of what had caused the sensitivity was an unnecessary one, however, and she pushed forward. "Almost as preposterous as people fighting aliens and giant rings that lead to other worlds." Jack nodded, still absorbed in his pain. Cassidy watched her fellow officer and couldn't help but wonder how he dealt with the situation while in peril. She had mastered controlling her emotions long ago, preferring instead to be as neutral as possible in every situation, though knowing all along that she was only burying everything she needed to deal with. It was Psychology 101 to know that hiding things was not a healthy way of living. But, in order to be a perfect soldier, one must approach every situation objectively and without emotion. If one failed to do that, what happened at her previous home could happen again.

Deciding to change the subject, Cassidy chose to get more information. The entire process of moving to a new facility was not something she was extremely enthusiastic to do, especially since she knew Manticore was actively looking for their lost soldiers. A story that had aliens and stargates in it was fantastic, and almost preposterous enough to not have been able to be made up, but even so, the suspicion still lurked in Cassidy's mind. She had no idea what Manticore had been up to for the past ten years, and by now, they certainly could have developed soldiers advanced enough to fool her, though their traditional trademark would have had to have been put out of existence. "Colonel, if I may be so bold to ask, why is it that I'm being granted second in command?" Colonel O'Neill looked up, relieved at the change of pace.

"It isn't often that I hear officers arguing about being awarded 2IC."

Cassidy nodded, still not satisfied. "But, Colonel, it doesn't make sense to me. I am fresh out of the academy, only experience is on domestic bases, and I haven't seen any combat yet. Not only that, but I have no experience whatsoever with the Goa'uld. It seems unorthodox to me." Every movement Jack's body made Cassidy carefully observed and noted. She would know if he was lying to her.

"Lieutenant, to be honest, with Operation Iraqi Freedom still underway, the Air Force has taken a major blow in their numbers. Plus, recruitment isn't exactly at an all-time high right now, and those who are joining up are mostly enlisted. We don't have the officer numbers anymore. Aside from that, the Stargate program is not exactly your average program. We have gone eight years with only a handful of people in our government knowing about its existence, and we plan on continuing with that record. You were selected because you seemed to be a good candidate for the role that the SGC requires. That, combined with you being an officer, is what placed you at 2IC. It may be unorthodox, as you put it, but it's what the General decided would be best. I've learned that it's not often General Hammond makes bad decisions."

Cassidy appeared to be contemplating what Colonel O'Neill had said. It seemed plausible enough, and she knew the War on Terror was doing nothing for the Air Force's numbers, or any of the other Armed Force's for that matter, so she'd leave it at that for now.

"ETA to Colorado Springs is ten minutes." Major Williams announced over the intercom. Cassidy settled into her seat for the remainder of the flight and wondered what exactly Cheyenne Mountain was going to bring into her already interesting life. She could only hope that it would remain Manticoreless for quite some time.

* * *

**Chapter Three coming soon. Please Review!**


	3. XO, CO CO, XO

**Author's Note**

**Thanks to everyone for your reviews! I appreciate your support! It really drives me to update as often as I can. Again, thanks a bundle!**

****

**Chapter Three: XO, CO. CO, XO.**

Cassidy stepped out of the plane and inhaled the fresh air of Colorado Springs for the first time. Off to her left, she could make out the outline of the mountains, to her right, the bustling activity that came with airport management. She didn't spend any time enjoying the new change of scenery, however, as Daniel, the Colonel, and the pilot were all in a line behind her, waiting to descend the stairs as well. Cassidy easily skipped down the stairs and waited obediently at the bottom, just out of the way of the gentlemen. "Lieutenant, you are one crazy lady." Major Williams said as he passed her, then turned to give her a quick wink. Though she hadn't met him while en route, she could tell from his voice that he was the pilot.

Not bothering to reply, she looked with questioning eyes to Colonel O'Neill, who gestured toward a set of doors that lead into the flight control building. Daniel and Jack took the lead and walked through the building quietly. Cassidy observed the pair's actions, noticing they didn't regard anyone with an air of familiarity. 'Must really lock 'em down there.' She thought to herself.

Upon reaching the other side of the building, Jack paused to explain the situation to Cassidy. "The General sent a car that will take us to the mountain, Lieutenant. Last chance to back out."

Cassidy shook her head. 'Last chance to back out was when I entered the room with you, Colonel.' Out loud, she said, "No chance, sir."

The three stepped out of the building and were greeted by a black sedan with dark tinted windows. Cassidy stared skeptically at the car for a moment, then manipulated her path to the car enough to check the plates. They were government, at least. Daniel opened up the door nearest to the building for Cassidy, then walked around to the opposite side. Jack slid easily in the front seat and had slammed his door before Cassidy mimicked his moves. "Airman." Jack said, acknowledging the driver, whom Cassidy assumed was from the mountain.

"Colonel." The airman did not need instructions, as he had already been pre-briefed on the fact that he needed to take the three to the mountain immediately with no stops. Stargate Command was not going to risk being found out because they had stopped for a bathroom break.

"The ride should only be about twenty minutes, Cassidy, provided traffic is in our favor." Cassidy nodded her head at Daniel's comment. She was busy looking for any signs of Manticore soldiers ready to take her away. So far, she had seen none.

Jack shifted in his seat so he was semi-facing the two in the back. "Once we arrive at the mountain, you'll have to subject yourself to a search, Lieutenant. When security clears you, we'll have a guide take you directly to the infirmary. Doctor Frasier will perform a check-up on you and clear you for duty within the SGC. After all that is done, your guide will escort you to a meeting with General Hammond, your new CO, and myself."

"A check up, sir?" Cassidy's heart quickened at the possibilities. She hoped with her recent graduation they'd only do a quick run over, as all of her files were current, but she could not way predict what type of security the facility practiced in regards to personnel.

"Relax, Lieutenant. You shouldn't be attacked by any needles today, though a word of caution, do not make any comments directed towards the good doctor about disliking the infirmary. Apparently, that is not an opinion she likes you to hold, and she will try to dissuade you." Jack's lighthearted comment was made further humorous by the exaggerated shudder he had performed to show that he had encountered the doctor's wrath.

Turning to Daniel, Cassidy raised an eyebrow. "I take it the Colonel has also had a few negative run-in's with the medical staff on base?" Daniel cracked a smile and nodded through his laughter. Cassidy, however, was too preoccupied to enjoy the humor that was being exchanged. She had no idea how to explain the strange genetic coding of her bloodstream, or any other 'abnormalities' they'd find. And somehow, 'hey, I'm a perfect human' just didn't seem quite right.

They rode the rest of the short trip in silence, each person absorbed with different issues. For Daniel, it was the new artifacts they had discovered on P3X-485 that he was anxious to get back to; Jack, whether he'd actually be able to schedule a weekend of vacation that wouldn't be interrupted by someone trying to destroy the world. That tactic, he had decided, was too overplayed. Cassidy's exterior gave no hint to the chaotic hell her head was going through, and Airman Gigman was preoccupied with the thought of getting home in time to watch his favorite TV show.

Trees surrounding the road began to grow heavier, and with the elevation change, Cassidy assessed that they were nearly there. Sure enough, two minutes later, the dark-colored Sedan pulled slowly in front of two guards pacing back and forth with M-16's pointing upward. Cassidy noted with interest that they also had sidearms. One of the guards approached the car slowly, while the other paused to survey the surrounding area. As soon as the window rolled down, the guard's eyes lit up with recognition. "Hello, Colonel O'Neill." The respect in his voice was audible as the guard waved the car through, into an entrance appropriately marked, 'Cheyenne Mountain.'

As the car pulled to a stop, Cassidy caught sight of two more guards standing in front of an entrance that had the capability of being blocked off by a solid steel door if they so decided. The two men immediately parted after they saw Colonel O'Neill, leaving Cassidy to hope this was the furthest that the security went.

Her hopes were soon dashed once Jack opened a door at the end of a corridor about fifty feet long, revealing another hallway, this one, though, fitted with a scanning device, as well as three officers, all armed. They acknowledged Daniel and Jack with respect, then took interest in their new visitor. "Major, this is Lieutenant Faith. She'll need to be cleared for access on the base, assigned a security card, then escorted to the infirmary."

The six foot blonde in the middle nodded in acknowledgement, then gestured for Cassidy to step forward. "Jack and I will leave you at this point, Cassidy, but if you need anything once you're done, someone can point you to my office." Daniel thought about patting Cassidy on the shoulder, but decided against it after observing the rigid state in which she stood. It appeared to him that she were almost like a tiger, calm, but ready to spring into action at the first sight of danger.

"Welcome to the SGC." Was all Jack said before leading Daniel through the scanner and down the hall toward an elevator, which he gained access to by his badge.

Lieutenant Meyer, as indicated by his name badge, stepped forward with a wand as Major Dunkins grabbed onto a clipboard. "Name, rank, service number."

Cassidy inhaled softly. She was further reassured by the fact that with Manticore, she was only known as X5-454, anything more would be too humane for them. "Faith, Cassidy. Second Lieutenant. 9839EG29."

Dunkins nodded, scribbling notes down. "I see you'll be serving on one of the SG teams, Lieutenant. Congratulations." Cassidy noticed with interest the respect that had been instantly issued to her by placement on one of the SG teams.

Meyer put the wand down after being satisfied with not being able to detect any weapons. "Please step through the sensor slowly."

She did as she was told, intent on studying the third man in the group who had yet to speak. He carried no weapon and was known to her only as 'Rygler.' At 6'4", about 240 of solid muscle, he was a fairly good sized man. Major Dunkins began to input her information into the computer as Meyer began to pat Cassidy. She stood stark still, remaining interested in the extremely quiet third person. "Congratulations, you've passed." What would have been considered a joke was dampened by the monotone-like quality of Meyer's voice. Apparently, he had said that to quite a few people while at Cheyenne Mountain.

Standing up, Dunkins approached Cassidy and handed her a small card with her name, service number, a magnetic strip, and photo ID that had been taken the day of her graduation. "Lance Corporal Rygler here will escort you to the infirmary, Lieutenant. Have a good day."

Cassidy watched silently as Rygler took the lead and headed toward the elevator. Unbeknownst to her, two pairs of lingering eyes watched her disappear, then returned themselves back to work. The Corporal slid his card through the reader, an act that caused the elevator doors to open. 'Must immediately return to ground level.' The elevator's procedure indicated to Cassidy that whatever was beneath her was intent on making exit of the mountain quite difficult. Rygler inputted the twenty-sixth floor, then stood to the left in silence. "How long have you been out of the academy?"

The question was meant for small talk more than anything else, but Cassidy's suspicious nature immediately caused her to look distrustfully at the marine, who was looking innocently back. "Three months." The marine nodded, then grew silent. It occurred to Cassidy that he may have been waiting for her to reciprocate his question, but she chose to stand in silence. Knowing the marine's history was of no use to her.

"Placement on an SG team. Impressive." Cassidy's senses went wild as she caught the underlying hints of sarcasm in his voice.

"So I've gathered."

"I was up for a position until a psychiatrist decided against it. Too headstrong or some shit like that. Forced me to get guard duty instead. You're lucky, believe me." Cassidy calmed a bit when she realized that the Corporal was simply jealous. He was most likely referring to the psychological exam graduates were given a month out of a military academy, which the SGC more than likely had access to.

The doors opened to the twenty-sixth level, saving Cassidy from having to endure anymore talk of her placement. Rygler guided her thirty feet down the gray hallway, which did not escape Cassidy that appeared a lot like Vandenberg's underground tunnels, then to the right. Suddenly, the corridor opened up to a fairly good sized room with four beds lined in a row against the walls. No one inhabited the infirmary as of the moment, but appropriate instruments and privacy curtains further decorated the otherwise plain cement walls. "Doctor Frasier, this is Second Lieutenant Faith."

A woman with light brown hair turned around. "Welcome on base, Lieutenant. Corporal, if you wouldn't mind..." The Corporal gave the two women a curt nod, then spun on his heels and exited the room around the corner. Cassidy decided from the sound of his footsteps that he was no more than ten feet outside the entrance. "I don't know how well they explained procedure around here, Lieutenant, but you will be subjected to a full medical examination by myself. I have received your information from your Third Class Flight physical that you undertook a month ago, but still need to redo everything for security reasons. Any questions before we start?"

Cassidy's nerves went haywire as the doctor guided her to an examination bed and began to listen to her lungs. This was the worst part of the whole ordeal. With only one test, she could be revealed to the entire Air Force, as well as her location to Manticore. The exam went as smoothly as possible, with Frasier gliding around with ease, taking all of Cassidy's vitals, as well as checking her vision and hearing (both perfect, she noted.). "You're almost done, Lieutenant. I just need a blood sample and then you may leave."

"Blood sample?" Cassidy's carefully controlled voice indicated nothing of the sudden worry that had exploded inside her. Blood carried DNA, and her DNA was a definite indication that she wasn't an average human.

Doctor Frasier nodded, pulling over a tray with the necessary supplies. "We'll run a DNA test, as well as test for any abnormalities in your blood. It's just precaution, but it can help, once we get the results back, to make your check-ups quicker when you return from off-world missions."

Cassidy allowed her arm to be straightened, resisting the urge to kill the doctor for suddenly creating such a threat to herself. Through research, she knew that a full DNA workup took seven weeks to complete, even more if there was a backload in the lab. 'So, I have seven weeks to either destroy the sample or get the hell out of dodge.' Cassidy watched as the doctor took a vile of her blood, then pulled the needle out. No blood came out of the piercing and Cassidy waved off the offer of a band aide from the doctor. Her superior clotting mechanism in her bloodstream would take care of the small hole better than the band aide could. The doctor marked the sample, then said something to Cassidy about her being done, though Cassidy could not remove her eyes from her blood. Seven weeks was all she had before they knew she was a genetic freak. That meant trouble. But, she couldn't argue against it, as it would immediately raise attention towards her and her incompliance. It may even wind her up with a one-way trip away from the mountain and to wherever else the Air Force decided to place her. 'You'll figure something out,' she promised herself, 'right now, Manticore has no idea where you are. Hell, the majority of the people on the planet don't know where you are. Just relax.' Somehow, her attempt at reassuring herself wasn't successful.

Corporal Rygler entered the room upon Doctor Frasier's request. "Please escort Lieutenant Faith to the briefing room, Corporal. Lieutenant, it was a pleasure to meet you." Cassidy took Frasier's extended hand and looked into the eyes of her new enemy.

With a last lingering glance at the vile of blood, Cassidy followed Rygler out and to the elevator. They waited a few moments for the car to come to their level, then stepped in, again in silence, and allowed it to take them two floors down. The edge in Cassidy's stare prevented Rygler from making any further comments about her placement, and allowed her time to collect herself before going to meet her superiors. She was in no mood for small chat, especially now. "It'll be two rights, a corridor, and a left, Lieutenant." Cassidy didn't bother to acknowledge the Corporal, instead choosing to take off per his instructions. She walked at a leisurely pace, though to him it was just short of a slow jog. He couldn't help but wonder why she was suddenly rushed, but couldn't formulate any opinions before they had reached their destination. Cassidy took the initiative and swiped her new badge through the reader, which allowed her access to the room. "I'll be waiting outside to take you to your quarters, Lieutenant."

Cassidy took a deep breath, then opened the door and stepped into a room with a large table in the middle. To her immediate left was an entrance to a large office, which she presumed was the General's, and to her right was a staircase that lead downward. Cassidy looked directly forward and noticed that the wall was largely glass, though nothing could be seen except another cement wall. 'Interesting layout.' Her thoughts were cut short by three men taking notice of her entrance into the room. One was Jack, another was General Hammond, and the third she decided was Colonel Larayne, her new CO.

General Hammond was the first to speak. "Welcome, Cassidy, to the SGC. I trust you have some questions, but please, have a seat and we'll start the briefing." Cassidy complied with his suggestion and took the seat next to Colonel O'Neill, directly opposite from her new CO. She studied him intently, with him duplicating the same actions.

The two stared in silence until someone in the room cleared their throat, directing both of their attention towards the sound. "XO, CO. CO, XO." Jack pointed to the appropriate person as he made the short introductions. "Now, let's get down to business."

Chapter Four coming soon! Please Review!!!


	4. Girls Kick Ass

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**Author's Note:**

**Sorry it's been awhile since I updated, y'all... started classes and homework has been mad crazy :D**

**I did a bit of slight renovating with the story, changing the AK-47 bit to M-16's (thanks a bunch to the reviewers who caught that, by the way!!!!), doing a bit of grammar corrections, as well as changing Cassidy's age from 19 (typo on my part) to 21. Other than that, the story is basically the same.**

**Thank you to all the reviewers! You are the inspiration for me to continue writing!**

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**Chapter Four: Girls Kick Ass**

General Hammond shifted ever so slightly in his seat, though the nearly undetectable movement was enough for everyone in the room to redirect their attention toward the man. Cassidy noticed with interest the respect he was given, almost as if his very presence commanded it. Her attention on the General's aura was not held long as Colonel Larayne's stare in her direction caused her to return the favor.

Whatever was emanating from Larayne wasn't approval, and that caused all of Cassidy's senses to go haywire. She knew for a fact that she had never met the man in her life, so his immediate dislike for her had to be SGC-related, though what it could be was a mystery to her. As murmurs of Manticore crept into her mind, Cassidy successfully reciprocated the stare, adding an edge of warning to sway Larayne from doing anything stupid. He may think he's a tough soldier, but Cassidy was literally made to kill. When it came down to it, she was convinced it wouldn't be a contest at all.

Colonel O'Neill observed the interaction between the two with interest, though chose to remain silent in order to give the General a forum to speak. "As you have both already been informed, Lieutenant Faith will be joining Colonel Larayne in the formation of SG-10. The rest of your team has been selected and is arriving on base as we speak. SG-10 will be another of our diplomatic teams, much like SG-1, and will be comprised of you two, a scientist specializing in alien cultures, as well as an expert in alien physiology. Unlike SG-1, however, SG-10 is entirely comprised of Air Force officers."

Cassidy studied the General's face as he spoke. The pride with which he referred to SG-1 was very evident in not only his voice inflections but by his glances toward Colonel O'Neill. She gathered that SG-1 had to have been something special to have been awarded so much respect from everyone on base. "General, if I may be so bold, what does she have to offer?" All ponderings of SG-1 vanished the instant Cassidy felt the attack Colonel Larayne was throwing at her.

Silently, she promised him a war if he wanted one; outwardly, she remained composed and stared at her CO, unafraid to portray the feelings of extreme dislike that were beginning to grow for him. She didn't trust him, and there was no way she was going to be able to serve under someone she didn't trust. Mentally, Cassidy chided herself. Of course there was a way, Manticore practically programmed her to serve in any situation and to not allow personal feelings to cloud her judgment or affect her ability to serve. But, that didn't mean she would have to like it.

Colonel O'Neill shot Cassidy a sympathetic smile before kicking his friend underneath the table. He knew from experience Brian could be a little hotheaded at times, but he also knew that he couldn't sabotage the relationship that had to grow between them in order to have a successful SG team. Plus, with Cassidy's unwavering stare, he wasn't sure if she was the best person to piss off. "Lieutenant Faith is skilled not only in tactical elements, but she possesses a degree in Psychology. A contact of mine within the Academy tells me that she has a particular knack for psychological warfare, as well as interrogations. She may be new on the block, Colonel, but her record is impressive and she studied command."

Colonel Larayne shook his head, still not convinced. "She's fresh out of the academy, General! She has no experience whatsoever in combat and knows nothing about the SG program!"

Choosing to remain quiet, Cassidy began to read the file that had been placed before her. It outlined briefly the training mission she was due to embark on with her other recruits in four hours. The three men were allowed to argue back and forth between themselves about the positives and negatives of having her within the Stargate program. Their opinions had no affect upon her, as they truly had no idea what she was capable of. Somewhere, however, she sought the approval of her new CO, and was determined to acquire it.

Finally, the argument was finished when General Hammond ordered Colonel Larayne to stay silent. With that, Cassidy jumped into the conversation. "General, the training mission that is taking place today, will we be arriving at the site via Stargate?"

The three men redirected their attention toward Cassidy, obviously having forgotten she was inhabiting the room with them. She showed no signs of distress from the argument, in fact, she portrayed nothing at all. "You will lead the two other recruits on your team as well as two others joining our program, Lieutenant. The Stargate will take you to the location, that is correct. With that, I believe all of you are dismissed."

Cassidy nodded and was the first to stand up, file in hand. "General. Colonels." She left with that simple acknowledgment, stepping outside the door, only to be greeted by the Lance Corporal.

"Follow me to your room, Lieutenant." Rygler's voice was gruff and irritated, probably from the extended wait he had been forced to endure due to the bickering. Cassidy nodded indifferently and followed him to the elevator. They rode in silence and walked through the hallway absorbed in their own thoughts. After a few turns, Rygler finally stopped in front of a door and gestured to it. "These are your quarters, Lieutenant. If you'd gain entrance, I can show you around briefly."

Cassidy's eyes narrowed. The sarcasm in his voice told her he regarded her as nothing more than a pathetic female officer, and the idea that she could get lost in her small quarters was an insulting one. "I'll do quite fine, Corporal. If there's nothing else, I'd like a few moments to gather myself before prepping for the mission." With that, she slid her card through the access panel and quickly stepped through the door, shutting it quietly behind her.

After she was sure Rygler had left her presence completely, Cassidy scanned the room she was now inhabiting. A bed, armoire, desk, and a small bathroom with a shower decorated the cement surroundings. What caught Cassidy's attention was not the sparse decorations, rather, it was the lack of opportunity for a roommate. She eased herself onto her bed as she was hit with the realization that being an XO gave her privileges she had never been exposed to before. In both Manticore and Air Force Academy, she had shared barracks with no less than ten other people. It was something that was ingrained into her psyche, to conform to that part of society, and suddenly she was thrust into a room that modeled her life quite well: she was alone.

Cassidy realized quickly the advantages having her own room provided. She wouldn't have to worry about someone accidentally discovering she was a transgenic while doing basic exercises, or have to pretend as though she were sleeping, for that matter. Now, she could do what she wanted without direct observation, an option that she hadn't held before. That didn't alleviate her worries of being found out; there was the very immediate problem of having to re-confiscate her blood. But, it certainly did make her situation an easier one.

Looking around, Cassidy pondered on how to make her room into something useful, rather than the cluttered thing it currently was. Though she wouldn't need a bed, removing it from her room would most definitely raise suspicions from other officers, and attention was not something she needed. She could, however, remove the desk and armoire, and she did so quickly, placing them out in the hall for the quartermaster to pick up. Another trip with the bedside table and lamp, and Cassidy was finished. A guard watched her as she began to close the door, waiting for her to explain her actions. "Would you have the quartermaster take these back, Lieutenant? I find them highly unnecessary." Seeing no other need for explanation, she shut the door, then moved her double-sized bed close to the wall.

After all of the renovations, Cassidy was left quite satisfied by the space of roughly 81 sq. feet to work with. Standing in the middle of her empty space, she began to do some basic kata kicks and stances, just to get a feel for what she would be working with. After an hour and a half of doing a minor workout, she was thrilled by the sense of being able to use her power again. Her highly underused muscles were excited by the exercise they had received, and already her body was begging for more. Ordinarily, she would have been thrilled to comply, but she was to report back to the briefing room within ten minutes, geared up and ready to move out.

As she changed her clothes, the thought that the SGC was extremely careful with their personnel did not escape her. From her understanding, she wasn't permitted to leave the Mountain for a month, at which time she would be assessed for security risks and would be given a day pass, contingent upon whether she passed the psychological interrogation. That, with the tracking system that was encoded with her security badge, gave Cassidy the uneasy feeling of being a prisoner again, something she had not felt since Manticore.

Forcing herself to focus on the mission at hand, Cassidy walked determinedly to the briefing room, all the while memorizing the layout she was being introduced to. One had to know all their possible avenues when in need of escaping. Cassidy opened the door to the briefing room in time to hear Colonel O'Neil finish up his rant on SG-1 having to be responsible for the training mission, again. At one side of the table sat four people she had never met, her fellow recruits, she presumed; the other side provided seats for General Hammond, Colonel O'Neill, Colonel Larayne, Daniel, and two people she did not know as well.

Cassidy sat in the only place that was remaining at the table, directly next to Colonel Larayne. Instead of regarding him with what everyone expected would be disgust, she simple nodded her head respectfully, then sat down and began to stare intently at Teal'c. Immediately, Cassidy's senses picked up on something about him that wasn't quite right. His returned stare told her that he thought the same of her, though neither voiced their opinions.

General Hammond quickly called attention towards himself. "Alright, let's do brief introductions. To my left is Dr. Jackson, Major Carter, and Teal'c. To my right, Colonel O'Neill, Colonel Larayne, and Lieutenant Faith." Cassidy ignored the invitation to look around upon the calling of her name. She was too busy observing the symbol on Teal'c's forehead, obviously not concerned with being rude. The fact that really worried her about him was he was quite possibly the only person in the room who had a chance against her in a fight. She wasn't used to being out-powered, especially after 12 years out of Manticore. "The new faces are Lieutenants Wilkinson and Drew, who have been assigned to SG-5 and -2, respectively; Captain Anderson, assigned to SG-10; and Major Meyers, assigned to SG-10 as well."

Everyone remained silent as Colonel O'Neill took over the General's soapbox. "Alright, folks, I'm the CO of SG-1, Daniel, Carter, and Teal'c make up the rest of my team. Colonel Larayne is the CO of SG-10, which, as General Hammond indicated, many of you are part of. SG-1 will be supervising your training mission today, along with Colonel Larayne so that he may observe his new team. We will be there in a strictly supervisory fashion and will not be participating in the mission. You are to not regard us at all in your activities. Lieutenant Faith will be heading up this mission with Major Meyers as second in command. Any questions? Good." Jack didn't bother giving anyone the chance to voice their concerns, as all he wanted to do was get moving and see if the recruits had what it took to be an SG member. "You will be briefed by your CO on the mission outline."

Jack sat down, causing everyone to redirect their attention to Cassidy. She stood up, using every technique she had been forced to acquire to remain composed, but inside she was panicking. From birth she had been taught to be submissive. In her unit, Zach and Max always were the leaders, she was simply another able body to provide manpower. Even in the Academy she had never been given a leadership opportunity, and their own ways of drilling in submissiveness had taken its toll on her as well. She was accustomed to taking orders, not giving them. "We are to proceed to P3X-974 on a strictly diplomatic mission. First contact with any locals, scope out the area for any signs of Goa'uld inhabitation, and anything that could be useful to us in the future. We're looking at a strictly in and out operation here, folks, with a 3-hour timeframe to complete it in. Everyone is to remain in team formation until it has been determined to be friendly, and after that, I want everyone to remain in a 100 foot perimeter."

The recruits all nodded as they absorbed her orders. Jack glanced at General Hammond, who apparently confirmed something to him, as he got up, then pushed a button that caused the wall behind the window to begin moving. "And now, your official welcome." Cassidy was the first to approach the window, taking in the gigantic ring that stood behind the platform before her. No matter how long she stared at it, she couldn't figure out how it worked. It just seemed like an overly large piece of junk to her.

Her misconception became apparent when the PA system suddenly announced, "Authorized Off-World Activation." The ring's empty center suddenly became bright and fluid-like, almost as though it were a giant pool.

Cassidy watched as five men stepped out of the shimmering expanse, which dissipated shortly after. "Kick Ass." Colonel O'Neill regarded her remark with a smirk, then indicated for everyone to follow him down to the gate room. Cassidy did so obediently, ignoring the attempts of the other recruits to get to know one another. She had no need for pleasantries at the moment.

Her attention was forced on Captain Anderson, however, when he stepped up to her. "You have a tattoo?" Cassidy's gaze quickly diverted to him as the entire group stopped at the end of the platform.

Her mind raced at the implications of what he had said, only to realize that he was referring to her barcode. She silently chastised herself for not covering it better, as she had given up the painful laser surgery it took to remove it after she graduated. The pain of having to discreetly go to a different doctor each time, as well as coming up with the money, wasn't something she enjoyed going through every three months, but it was a decision she was regretting now. She had hoped the removal would last a bit longer, but obviously she had been wrong. "It was a team thing back at the Academy. We all got bar codes shortly after graduation." Cassidy threw the explanation out there hoping to play off the other officers' knowledge of the comradery that the Academy created between soldiers. The truth was, she had no close friends from the academy, no real acquaintances to speak of. Yet, somehow, the explanation that the barcode had been encoded into her DNA so that Manticore could better keep track of her didn't seem an appropriate one.

"Wicked Cool." Lieutenant Wilkinson exclaimed after quickly taking a look at the mark on Cassidy's neck.

Cassidy nodded indifferently and separated herself from her fellow Lieutenant, causing her to bump into Major Meyers. "Excuse me." He said politely, then smiled and extended his hand. "I'm your resident physiologist, Lieutenant. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Realizing that she technically was the man's superior, Cassidy shook Meyers's hand politely. After they parted, she suddenly realized that Meyers could very well be one of the officers assigned to examine her if she were ever find out. That thought was threatening enough to distance herself from him. The chance to meet anyone else accidentally was immediately ceased by the Stargate activating, and the team immediately breaking into formation behind her. Colonel O'Neill was explaining something about breathing techniques when going through, but Cassidy found the gate too appealing and stepped through without listening to instructions. Upon exiting on the other side, she felt out of breath and regained composure in time to greet O'Neill with a smile. "That was more exciting than the airplane episode!"

O'Neill shook his head and allowed a laugh to escape his lips before walking over to where SG-1 had assembled themselves. "Alright, everyone do a quick radio run-through and we'll head off." After all the radios were checked and adjusted, Cassidy scanned her surroundings to determine where the best place to start would be. They were in a clearing of what she assumed was a decent sized forest, with trees in every direction. Using her enhanced vision, Cassidy picked up on a path that was somewhat hidden by a shrub that had been strategically placed by someone who no doubt thought he was clever. "Meyers and Wilkinson, maintain perimeter around the Stargate. Drew and Anderson, You're with me. This way." Clutching her M-16, Cassidy lead her team toward the path, which she assumed would eventually lead her to whatever created it. She listened intently for the birds, which gave her clear indications of another clearing up ahead.

Within two minutes, the three had emerged from what she assumed was the edge of the forest. After ascending a hill, what looked to be an abandoned town came into view. At one time, it could have held 500 people, but it appeared to be deserted for years now. Grabbing her radio, she quickly relayed their coordinates to her team at the gate. "No signs of hostiles, ma'am."

Cassidy was not at all comforted by the information, as she knew that there was no way they were going to escape from the training mission unscathed. A part of her sensed that this was Hammond's true entry test, and if they failed, they would be given the boot. "We're going to do a quick run-through of the town. We'll meet back at the stargate to relay any information and get orders. ETA 30 minutes." She replaced her radio, then began to walk along the overgrown cement road.

"This reminds me of those old 'horse and buggy' ghost towns." Lieutenant Drew's joke eased the air between the three, though each kept on their toes.

Captain Anderson looked about his surroundings thoughtfully. "It does seem very reminiscent of the towns built by miners during the Gold Rush. Very odd indeed." Cassidy was approaching the first building and was intent on looking in when Anderson suddenly exclaimed something excitedly, causing her to whirl around. "Except for that building over there."

Cassidy followed his gaze to a building at the center of the town. She suddenly became aware that the entire town was built to accommodate the building, with each structure facing the one in the middle. The set-up was not the only odd thing about it. The shrine seemed to be made of materials that were far beyond anything they had encountered at the village thus far, with hints of cement and metal forming the foundation and walls. The large door appeared as though it was gold, and on each side were torches, amazingly ablaze with fire. "Lieutenant, permission to explore?"

"Granted, Captain. Approach with caution." The three moved their way slowly to the door, all the while keeping a close eye on their perimeter.

Lieutenant Drew touched the door timidly, then looked to Cassidy for permission. She nodded her head curtly, to which he responded by give the door a good shove, causing it to open slowly. Several more torches lit up the interior of the building, with the decorations reminding her of a mosque. The influence of the building was clearly Egyptian, and hieroglyphics adorned the walls. "I don't spose you could interpret these for me, Captain?"

Anderson nodded, and began examining the walls intently. "It talks about this being a place of worship for their God, Benteiwerti." He paused to walk along the walls, telling a story of extreme worship and adoration. Anderson spoke again when he found a scroll with a very different story, hidden slightly out of sight. "Lieutenant, this writing says there was a revolt against Benteiwerti led by his followers. After a mass murder of their people, they attempted to overthrow him and were used as hosts. It ends with saying 'we are never as alone as we hope we are.'"

None of them had the opportunity to speculate the true meaning of the scroll, as suddenly their radios came to life. "Lieutenant, report back to the Stargate ASAP." Cassidy recognized the voice of Colonel O'Neill immediately, but it was the sound of urgency in his voice that caused her to break out in a run. As she came upon the edge of the forest, she heard gun fire and shouting, making her want to blur her way there, but knowing it would raise too much suspicion to do so. So, she stayed slightly ahead of the other two and only slowed down when they were close enough to the perimeter of the clearing to assess the situation safely.

Silently, she gave the appropriate signals to indicate Drew and Anderson were to position themselves so that they could provide cover for one another. After they spread out and relocated themselves, they each approached the clearing without a sound. Cassidy scanned the area with disbelief. Not only was there a lack of anyone else in the area, but Major Meyers was lying on the ground unconscious. Cassidy indicated for the other two to maintain cover and ran into the clearing to grab Meyers. There was no one shooting at her as she exited the trees, but that didn't fool her into believing she was any less in danger. After checking his vital signs and determining he was alive, Cassidy pulled Meyers to safety behind a tree and quickly reassembled the remaining two.

Lieutenant Drew appeared extremely nervous, which was given away by the sweat on his brow and upper lip. His furtive glances and increased respiratory rate told Cassidy that he was extremely excited, a fact that could be a threat to her and her team. Captain Anderson managed to maintain a somewhat calm exterior, but his increased breathing gave him away as well. Cassidy allowed them to take a breath before she issued orders, not wanting them to catch onto the fact that she was too calm for the situation. But, when it came to combat, Manticore soldiers had it beaten into them to always keep a cool head. By the time they could run somewhat stable, they were already being shot at in order for them to become used to the environment. "SG-1, Larayne, and Wilkinson are MIA. Assume the worst right now. First, let's break up and establish a 100 foot perimeter around the gate. I want anything big enough to hide in searched. Any signs of hostiles, shoot first and ask later. After that, we'll reconvene and try to figure out what the hell happened here."

It took them twenty minutes to search out the surrounding area to Cassidy's satisfaction. Unfortunately, the meticulous care with which they searched still did not provide her with the results they had wanted. They were still missing all of their officers, and had an injured one on their hands. Meyers was beginning to stir, so Cassidy knelt beside him and indicated for the other two to keep watch. They were maintaining cover in the trees, but were still close enough to the gate to monitor activity. Meyers woke up with a start and attempted to get up. Any thoughts of escape on his part were immediately dashed when Cassidy held him down, causing his struggling to be useless. "Major Meyers, what the hell is going on?"

The man blinked his eyes a few times before breathing a sigh of relief to seeing three friendlies. "They attacked out of nowhere, Lieutenant, didn't even give us enough warning to put up much of a fight! Colonel O'Neil and Teal'c were hit, and they took Daniel, Major Carter, and Lieutenant Wilkinson hostage. There was nothing we could do! They were also talking about worshipping Benji."

"Benteiwerti?" Captain Anderson's suggestion caused Meyers's eyes to light up in familiarity.

"That's right! How did you know that?!"

Cassidy shook her head to dismiss the explanation, that could come later when everyone was reassembled and safe. "Whose they, Major? And why did they leave you?" The irony that they had taken everyone but Meyers did not escape her, and she was preparing herself to kill him if necessary. From what she had been told, as well as the information she had been given in the file, the Goa'uld had the capability to mask their true identities, which was given away by glowing eyes and a deep resounding voice.

"Ten Jaffa, at least. They were loaded up on zats. I guess they thought I was dead when I didn't move."

"If they only shot you once, it would have been very apparent that you were alive once you reacted to the pain." Cassidy's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Major Meyers nodded. "True, but I hit my head on the DHD after they shot me." He pointed toward the back of his head, where a nice-sized bump was already forming.

Lieutenant Drew spoke up. "They didn't use the Stargate to come here?" His voice was edgy and shaky, two more qualities Cassidy wasn't liking.

"No, they came out of the trees, almost like they were waiting for us."

"Which means, they could very well be nearby still, waiting to take the rest of us captive. I haven't seen any ships, so we're presuming this was a trap and they need the Stargate to escape the planet." Cassidy's mind raced at the possibilities, no longer worried about whether this was a training mission or the real thing.

Either way, the enemy was dangerously close. "Shouldn't we go back to Earth?" Drew's hopeful suggestion caused the three other members to toss him a glare.

"We don't leave men behind." Anderson's tight voice told Drew all he needed to know.

"He's right, we need to attempt a rescue operation. Find out where they are and assess the situation. If it's something we four can't handle, we'll go back to Earth. For now, the Stargate is our only asset. Unfortunately, we can't use it without drawing attention so there will be no communicating with Earth." Cassidy paused, analyzing the situation. "We need to assume that the hostages have been taken as hosts, and that makes them a threat to Earth. If they've been implanted, they have the ability to open our iris and make us vulnerable. For now, everyone use your zats. If someone so much as blinks an eye the wrong way, shoot them."

The three nodded in agreement. Just as Cassidy was about to outline their rescue plan, movement in the trees across from them caught her attention, and immediately she signaled for everyone to remain quiet. In the distance, sounds of gunfire and staff weapons echoed out, causing them to grow more alert. All four spread out with their zats ready, waiting for whatever was coming their way.

Cassidy's body tensed up as she watched their missing team members emerge into the clearing. Colonel O'Neill's attention flew to the place where Major Meyers had been previously, turned to exchange a look with Major Carter. Cassidy cursed him for not saying anything, and indicated for everyone to stay put until they assessed the situation. "Lieutenant, bring your team out. We need to go back to Earth." Daniel was making his way toward the DHD, causing Cassidy to bounce into action. There was no way they could allow anyone access to Earth until they determined everyone was human. After all, they had all been taken captive by the Goa'uld long enough for an implantation to occur.

Her team quickly read the signals she gave, then broke into formation. Daniel was about to input the first symbol when Cassidy sprang out and shoved him away, bringing her zat to his face as she raised her M16 at the rest. "Everyone, place your weapons on the ground and kick them out of reach." Daniel was the first to comply due to the zat causing him to go cross-eyed. Cassidy kicked his zat over to Teal'c and indicated for him to pick it up.

"Lieutenant, what the hell is going on here?" Colonel Larayne's voice boomed throughout the clearing, obviously not liking the fact that he was being treated like a hostile.

"No one gets access to Earth until we are sure you are Goa'uld-free."

Drew was tentatively approaching Carter and Wilkinson from the rear, unsure if he should listen to Cassidy. She was acting a bit too paranoid for his liking. After all, Goa'uld's generally made themselves known immediately, didn't they?

Major Carter and Colonel Larayne placed their weapons on the ground and kicked them away. "Now you two." Cassidy indicated Colonel O'Neill and Lieutenant Wilkinson. She felt Teal'c's stare boring down on her again, but chose to ignore it.

"This is highly unnecessary, Lieutenant, we were all in sight of each other the entire time. There's no way any of us were implanted."

Cassidy ignored O'Neill's comment. "Do it, Colonel, or it will be forcibly removed." She had her zat trained on Wilkinson and her M16 placed toward Colonel O'Neill. Daniel was under the direct mercy of her foot, as she wouldn't allow him to stand up.

"Lieutenant, maybe we should just go home." Lieutenant Drew's voice interrupted Cassidy's staring contest with Colonel O'Neill. "The Colonel said they were all within sight of each other."

Cassidy shook her head and again indicated for the weapons to be handed over. Both O'Neill and Wilkinson did as they were told, giving Cassidy's group possession of all the weapons. Shoving Daniel toward the group, Cassidy used Teal'c, Anderson, and Drew to help her circle in the potential hostiles. "Teal'c, what happened?"

"We were taken captive by the Jaffa and led into another clearing about a ½ mile from here. When they attempted to restrain us, ColonelO'Neill and Wilkinson grabbed staff weapons and shot three Jaffa, allowing myself, MajorCarter, and ColonelLarayne to fight off the rest of them."

Cassidy thought a moment, playing the scene in her head. "Why were O'Neill and Wilkinson the last out of the clearing if they were first to be freed?" Her thinking out loud directed the group's attention toward the two.

Both of the men looked at each other and suddenly jumped up. Wilkinson immediately grabbed Drew's zat and pointed it at Colonel O'Neill. "He disappeared with the Jaffa when we were first captured!"

Cassidy's attention flew to Jack, who had his hands raised. "Wilkinson is the implant, Lieutenant. Shoot him."

Lieutenant Drew watched the entire situation wide-eyed. Cassidy recognized signs of shock coming into play and was about to move when suddenly she had an M16 turned on her. "Let's take them home with us, Lieutenant. We can do scans of them there."

Meyers shook his head. "Either could be implanted with a bomb by now. They disappeared for a half hour. A lot can happen by then."

Cassidy kept her weapons trained on the two potential enemies, and noticed that Teal'c had his weapon trained on Drew. "Lieutenant, put down your weapon. You need to relax. You're suffering from shock. We'll figure this out and get you home safely, I just need you to calm down."

Drew ignored her attempts at being soothing, and took off towards her and effectively the DHD. Cassidy went into full-soldier mode and effortlessly maneuvered for a clear shot at Drew. Expertly, she shot him with her zat, causing him to fall over in pain.

Colonel O'Neill used the moment to his advantage to dive for one of the zats laying just out of his reach, and came up with it trained on Wilkinson. Both were looking wildly at each other, still claiming that the other was the Goa'uld. The situation suddenly worsened when Wilkinson turned his attention to Teal'c, yelling obscenities at him and telling him to tell everyone what was happening. Teal'c trained his weapon on Wilkinson and looked back at him calmly. Carter, Jackson, and Larayne all sat in the middle of the group watching Cassidy's reactions. Just as Cassidy was about to say something else, Wilkinson shot in Teal'c's direction.

Quickly, she trained her zat on him and shot him once, causing him to fly to the ground in pain. Anderson ran over to the injured hostile and kicked his weapon away, all the while training his M16 on Wilkinson. Her earlier suspicion of Meyers came into play, as she rethought his explanation as to why the Goa'uld had left him in the open. From what she knew, there was no way he could have fooled the snakes into thinking he was dead. They would have known better. Appropriately, she spun and shot him with her zat as well, catching him off-guard.

Cassidy began to approach him when something strange in the middle of the group caught her eye. Spinning, Cassidy shot Colonel Larayne in the heart just as he was about to push a button of an unfamiliar device.

To her surprise, he did not die, but looked down in shock to see his green uniform now covered in red paint. Cassidy stared at the paint in shock, cursing herself for accepting the weapon from the training officer without question. She was about to shoot him with her zat when Colonel O'Neill shouted. "Stop!"

Everyone relaxed, and to her surprise, Lieutenant Wilkinson suddenly rose up from his position on the ground with a smile on his face. "Now that was an adventure!"

"Congratulations, everyone, you have completed your training mission." Daniel's voice rang out and caused Drew to jump to his feet.

"It was all a trick?!" The realization that he had failed had a delayed effect on him, but once he caught it, Drew's head fell.

Colonel Larayne rose from his sitting position on the ground, then helped both Carter and Daniel up from theirs as well. "Debriefing will be planet-side. Daniel will you dial us up, that is, with the approval of Lieutenant Faith, of course."

Cassidy turned to meet Larayne's gaze and recognized a glimmer of disappointment in his otherwise proud eyes. The entire group all collected their weapons, each chatting quietly amongst themselves about the mission, except for Drew, who was escorted back by Teal'c. The newly formed SG-10 were the last through, and all looked at one another before stepping through. Once back at the SGC, Anderson and Meyers turned to face the Colonel and Cassidy. "You think we get to have that much fun everyday?" Meyers commented lightly, causing everyone to smile, including Cassidy, who began to feel the first bonds with her team.

"Lieutenant, you'll have to show me that trick you used on Dr. Jackson sometime. It was quite hilarious to see him fly away from that DHD and land under the mercy of your boot."

Cassidy smiled again. "You'll just have to count yourself lucky if you don't feel that sort of wrath from me." The three men bellowed in laughter, and all began to walk towards the briefing room.

Colonel Larayne hung back and held out his hand. "Impressive performance, Lieutenant. However, the fact that you chose to shoot four of our team members is not acceptable." Cassidy walked silently away, not wishing to argue the ethics by which she was trained. At Manticore, it didn't matter to them the casualties of possible spies, so long as there were none. They were taught to kill first, and ask questions later. It was incredibly hard for her to fight that kind of training, and she could only hope it wasn't about to come back and bite her in the ass.


	5. The Dark Side of Human Nature

Author's Note:  
  
Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews! It really is motivating me to continue writing this. I apologize for my long absence… I've been busy with school as of late. I promise I will try to update more often here on out. I hope you enjoy this chapter!  
  
Some of you may note that Doctor Sidney Freedman is the psychiatrist off MASH. No, this isn't another crossover bit with the TV show; just consider it an homage to what I consider a great show. 'Nuff said.

* * *

**Chapter Four: The Dark Side of Human Nature  
**  
"In order to be successful at your jobs, you must be able to focus on the less violent side of it. You are not only to protect Earth, you are to establish first contact situations with possible allies. Some teams are lucky: they have been assigned diplomatically trained officers to deal with situations such as these; other teams must receive this training to ensure that the Stargate program remains productive." Daniel droned on. Cassidy had only been in Daniel's briefing on 'the plus-side of diplomacy and learning about species' for five minutes and she already felt the urge to tune out everything he was saying.  
  
It wasn't as though anything he was disclosing didn't make sense, she just had never applied it to her job before. In Manticore, it had always been 'shoot first, question later.' The super soldiers were trained killing machines, not intellectual seekers. If they wanted information, there were ways going about it and none of them entailed the word "please."  
  
However, at the SGC, things were ran a bit differently. From what she understood, the ignorance of her predecessors had forced diplomacy to become part of the SGC's new personnel training program. Curses be on them.  
  
Cassidy took the opportunity of Daniel's turning his back on her to surmise the people around her. It was a relatively small briefing, with only herself, Major Meyers, and Captain Anderson. She noticed with relief that Major Meyers seemed more intent on studying her reactions than to Daniel's presentation. At least she wasn't the only one to find the information completely useless. Cassidy met Meyers's gaze for an instant, which seemed to catch him off-guard. Immediately, he shifted his attention back onto Daniel, as though he were guilty of something.  
  
Meyers had never given her a bad vibe before. He seemed genuinely dedicated to his job and she felt as though she could count on him when it came down to crunch time. She just couldn't shake the feeling that he was hiding something. Though she didn't spend all that much time worrying about it, mostly because she didn't perceive Meyers as a threat, his curiosity into how she was taking in Daniel's speech was piquing her interest.  
  
Just as Cassidy had chalked Meyers's reaction to boredom, she was overwhelmed by a sense that someone was watching her. Carefully, she swept her gaze over the room but found nothing out of the ordinary. No cameras that were visible, no two way mirrors hooked up, no clunky microphones protruding; it seemed as though they were alone and meant to remain intent on studying Daniel's information. Still not convinced, Cassidy shifted her attention to Daniel as he began to introduce the Pangarans.

* * *

"Anyone ever consider that putting up a two way projection screen is a bit obsessive?" Colonel O'Neill cracked as he took his place next to Colonel Larayne, who was intent on studying his team.  
  
Larayne shook his head at his colleague's joke. "You of all people know we have to be suspicious of anyone gaining entrance to the program, Colonel."  
  
Jack simply sipped at his coffee in reply. Being second in command required him to be there evaluating new personnel while the General was doing more important things; presumably dealing with bureaucratic nonsense that Jack would rather not be part of. "Anything interesting happen while I was getting a refill?"  
  
Larayne shook his head, still focused on studying Cassidy's reactions to the information. "She's displaying interest in things other than Daniel's fascinating slides when he's not looking, but other than that, nothing too extraordinary."  
  
Jack stared at his colleague for a second, debating whether he should interject. Larayne was focusing too harshly on Cassidy, giving him the impression that she had the most to earn. Though Jack was sure his fellow Colonel was trying to be subjective, he was failing miserable at it.  
  
Doctor Sidney Freedman kept a close watch on the SGC's newest member, looking for any telltale signs of sociopath tendencies. So far, he had been unsuccessful. "Lieutenant Faith appears to be very comfortable in her skin." Both Colonels looked at the SGC's leading psychiatric specialist with a degree of uncertainty. They weren't sure whether to treat the comment seriously or with an air of humor. After noticing their hesitancy, Sidney continued. "Look at the way she sits compared to Captain Anderson. Anderson is rather tense. He is sitting up straight, attention strictly on Daniel, focused on absorbing the information he is being given. Faith's demeanor is more laid back, as if she is collecting the information effortlessly. Notice how she is barely writing anything down as compared to Anderson's constant scribbles. Yet, when comparing the two, whom do you think is taking in more?"  
  
Larayne leaned forward intently and studied the two. "If I had to make a decision, I'd say it would be Lieutenant Faith."  
  
Sidney nodded in concurrence. "Even when sitting idly, appearing outwardly to do nothing, I get the impression that she is constantly soaking up information." Pausing, Sidney chose to reflect on his observations. "Faith's demeanor seems to be more natural than Anderson's."  
  
Jack studied Cassidy for a few moments. "In Special Forces they train their officers to consider every angle of every situation, to be constantly alert of their surroundings, and to take in all details in order to use that information to their advantage. Even now, I'm getting from the Lieutenant that she is very keen on everything around her, even in this briefing."  
  
"And that constant state of awareness doesn't just come from rigorous exercise, Colonel, it comes from experience."  
  
Larayne tore his eyes from his subjects and placed them onto the psychiatrist. "What are you suggesting, Doctor?"  
  
Doctor Freedman shrugged his shoulders. "If her personnel file didn't say otherwise, I would be under the assumption that Lieutenant Faith was an experienced officer. She carries herself with the confidence of a soldier of several years, not a couple of months." The Colonels turned their attention back onto Cassidy, wondering what it was that set her apart from their other recruits.

* * *

_Three days prior, flashback_  
  
Cassidy had enjoyed a day's break after her training mission off-planet by taking advantage of the mountain's training facility. Though she couldn't exhibit anywhere near her true abilities, the mild work outs were soothing to her aching mind. A part of Cassidy wondered if she had traded one prison for another: The literal prison of Manticore for the constant worry of recapture in the free world. At least in Manticore she was able to exhibit all the talents she had been coded with; here she was constantly in a state of worry that she would slip up and give away hints that she was a genetic freak.  
  
The following day had started off with a basic introduction to Goa'uld weapons, followed by a light training session putting their newly acquired skills to use. Weapons came naturally to her, as well as to any Manticore soldier, and she immediately mastered using them all with accuracy. Her faked normalcy forced her to miss the target more than hit it, unfortunately, which only drove her further into her growing frustration.  
  
If Cassidy had known that upon joining the Stargate program she would have more worries added onto her already pre-existing ones, she probably would have told Colonel O'Neill where he could stick it. Now, she not only had to worry about the threat of recapture by Manticore, but the Air Force had a real sample of her blood and were running DNA tests on it as she trained. She had a set time frame (6 weeks, 4 days and counting) to prevent them from finding out that her DNA was spliced to perfection. If she failed, she would either have to fess up to what she truly was, or escape from Cheyenne Mountain and go into hiding until things blew over. Cassidy didn't take failure lightly, however, and was determined to be successful in fooling the Air Force yet again into thinking she was normal.  
  
By the time lunch had rolled around, Cassidy wanted nothing more than to escape into her quarters and work through some of her aggravation in private. Her wishful thinking was immediately nixed when an unfamiliar man approached her, accompanied by Colonel Larayne. "Lieutenant, this is Doctor Sidney Freedman. He is the leading psychiatrist in the mountain and will be the one in charge of your psych eval. Lucky for you, your number was drawn for this afternoon."  
  
Cassidy struggled to maintain a calm exterior as every nerve in her body fired in the negative. She didn't want to meet with any psychiatrist! "Of course, Colonel." Turning toward the Doctor, she extended her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Doctor Freedman."  
  
Doctor Freedman stared at her intently for a moment before taking her hand into his own. A part of Cassidy's mind wondered if he was in any way affiliated with Manticore's PsyOps division, a literal worst nightmare for an escapee soldier such as herself. When she was younger, they were taught how to employ and evade psychological warfare, but who knew what they could have come up with since her departure? "My office is only two floors up, Lieutenant. If you'll follow me." The good doctor politely gestured for Cassidy to walk alongside him.  
  
Cassidy exchanged a look with Colonel Larayne before following the psychiatrist. She had a feeling that she wasn't going to enjoy any part of this meeting.  
  
Just as he had promised, Doctor Freedman's office wasn't too far away and before she knew it, Cassidy was sitting in a chair opposite his desk, waiting patiently as he hooked her up to various machines. "This one takes your pulse; this one records eye moments; this, your blood pressure…"  
  
Freedman informed her of each of the machine's functions, all the while Cassidy was preparing herself to not reveal anything too compromising. Manticore had trained her in the art of fooling machines adequately, and she wasn't worried that Freedman was a genetically-altered soldier anymore, as the PsyOps division didn't need any machines to be successful.  
  
After he had accomplished plugging Cassidy into every machine known to man, Doctor Freedman sat opposite of Cassidy, exuding a professional disposition, while attempting to give the look that told any of his patients not to lie to him. Cassidy remained indifferent despite Freedman's best variations to his well-practiced stare and finally won out. "Lieutenant Faith, we'll start off with some basic questions so I can get the appropriate readings and go from there."  
  
Cassidy nodded slowly, allowing her mind to relax, as well as the rest of her body. Developing the skill to evade lie detectors was taught at a very young age at Manticore, and was beaten into the soldiers if it was not acquired as soon as their superiors would have liked. Remembering vaguely spending many days being reprimanded for failing her tests, Cassidy relived the sense of accomplishment that had washed over her as she had accomplished her goal. It had been a proud day for her back then, but all these years later, it was only another memory belonging to her prison.  
  
"What is your full name?"  
  
Edy. Her 'real' name came rushing back to her as the doctor studied her intently. Cassidy had changed her name long ago in order to avoid Manticore presence in her life--there was no way of knowing if they knew what the escapees had called each other. "Second Lieutenant Cassidy A. Faith." Feelings of warmth flooded her as she remembered when they had all chosen what to call each other. She had chosen Edy as a private memorial to a guard who had always ensured that she was alright, which eventually lead to his demise. Something about that name coming back to her was etching at her memory, but she couldn't quite place it. She didn't attempt to scratch anymore at the surface, deeming it should be done away from Stargate Command's top psychiatrist.  
  
"You are serving the SGC in what capacity, Lieutenant Faith?"  
  
"I am second in Command of SG-10." So far, so good.  
  
Doctor Freedman referred to a list of questions set before him. "Other than SGC personnel, how is it that you are connected to this world?"  
  
Cassidy stared blankly at the psychiatrist. Connected to the world? She was born from a test tube, that's how she was connected. "I'm sorry, Doctor, I'm afraid I don't understand the question." When in doubt, stall.  
  
"Do you have any close friends or family that tie you to Earth?"  
  
"My parents were killed in a car accident when I was fifteen. I have no siblings and the only friends I have are involved with the Air Force." Cassidy had adopted her name, Cassidy A. Faith, from a newspaper article she had read about the disappearance of a family just off of Manhattan Island. Apparently, the father was known somewhat as a drinker and the family had vanished after taking their private plane for a brief spin. Richard and Cecilia Faith were presumed to be lost forever in the depths of the ocean. Thank God their 15-year-old daughter was found to have not been on the plane with her dear parents! Another worry that always chased Cassidy around was the chance at discovering the true whereabouts of the actual Faiths. She didn't care if they were dead or celebrating their anonymity on the Jamaican islands, just so long as they didn't come back and blow her cover.  
  
Taking a few notes, Doctor Freedman adjusted one of his machines before continuing. "What do you know about the Goa'uld, Lieutenant?"  
  
Cassidy shrugged to indicate her ignorance on the subject. She only knew the basics that she had been given for her training mission and even that had been the bare minimum. "Not much I am afraid. I know that they are parasites that use humans as their hosts. Virtually indistinguishable unless they choose to reveal themselves through an eye-glow trick or X-Rays. Other than that, they use the gate system for travel, though primarily move about in ships that are far more advanced than Earth technology. That," she paused, "and they are the enemy."  
  
"Have you ever had the urge to defect from the United States of America?"  
  
Okay, now is the time for the random throw-off questions. "No." Defect from Manticore, yes. United States? They hadn't done anything to piss her off--yet.  
  
"With regards to your training mission, is there anything that you would change if you would be able to?"  
  
Cassidy paused for a moment, trying to distinguish a path the doctor was walking along. So far, nothing was coming to mind. "I reacted to the best of my ability at the time, Doctor. Reminiscing on what could have been is a waste of energy." A good soldier learns not to doubt her actions, especially when her instincts had brought her out alive.  
  
"If this had been a live-fire situation, you would have suffered a great loss of life."  
  
Ah. So he was gearing toward the fact that she had chosen to shoot a lot of people. Colonel Larayne had probably set him up to this. Cassidy stared openly at the doctor, quickly thinking of the best way to explain her actions to him. It wasn't as if she could just recount how she had been taught to kill without remorse her entire life. "When taken into consideration the factors, loss of life is proven acceptable at times." That was the flowery pretty way of her telling him that what had to be done was done.  
  
"Please explain, Lieutenant." Doctor Sidney Freedman was a tricky sort of fellow. His entire career was based on attempting to find ways to get soldiers out of the SG program, but this soldier was not going to fall for it.  
  
"If given the decision to kill my friends in order to protect Earth from an invasion or openly allow them back on Earth to endanger billions of people, I choose to forego emotion and do what has to be done. Any good soldier would."  
  
Freedman stared at her for several moments before collecting himself. Cassidy worried that she had been too blunt; she was convinced other soldiers had stuck to the flowery route throughout their interviews in order not to disturb the doctor. "Some would say that the choice to kill one's friends is a disturbing one."  
  
"A soldier's job is not to make friends and have them cloud her judgment. An indecisive soldier is a deadly one. When a situation calls for it, a soldier must be willing to sacrifice her emotions and well-being for the greater good. In this case, the greater good happens to be all of mankind." Quoting from Manticore's teachings disturbed her, but it was the only way to convey her point of view to the doctor. He certainly didn't enjoy her matter-of-fact way of treating the 'deaths' on her mission, but it was her job to protect the world, not please the psychiatrist.  
  
"What if the situation provided a possible alternative?"  
  
Cassidy was silent, pretending to reflect on what he had said. Her initial reaction was to tell him outright that any good soldier didn't waste precious time weighing her options; however, the fear of causing an uproar about her mental health warranted her response. "If an alternative presents itself, I am completely supportive of preventing the loss of life." Her inner soldier chastised her for going against all her training. Silently, she promised it that she would spend more time exercising alone this evening. That always seemed to help her nerves.  
  
Doctor Freeman quietly detached the machines from Cassidy. "Thank you, Lieutenant, for your time. I will have a complete report drafted shortly, though I don't think you have anything to worry about. You seem to have passed the test with flying colors. I am interested, however, in seeing you again."  
  
"I'm sure our paths will cross in the near future, Doctor." Leaving the situation vague as possible, Cassidy quickly exited the room. Meeting with the doctor to discuss her feelings did not seem all that appealing to Cassidy. She was too worried about slipping up and accidentally revealing what she truly was. Her added stress of being found out through DNA tests would surely place her more at risk to succumbing to the Doctor's inquisitive manner, so she decided that avoiding him was the only course of action._End Flashback_

* * *

"The situation with the Unas presents a unique outlook. Consider our situation at the time: we needed the ore available on the planet for our ship, however, the Unas had declared that particular section of land their sacred ground. Violence began to break out on both sides, each wanting to protect what they had deemed as theirs. What would you do in the particular situation, Lieutenant?"  
  
Cassidy hoped her eyes hadn't appeared too glazed over after four hours of processing information. Now that he had directed attention onto her, she was sure it was a trick question. She recalled that Daniel had mentioned a similar incident involving the Unas earlier, but had refused to elaborate on it. That brat. "The needs of our planet outweighs the needs of the tribe of Unas. If they refused to give up the ore peacefully, I suppose they would have to be killed."  
  
Daniel stared at her shocked, telling Cassidy instantly that she had said the wrong thing. What could she do? She just wasn't the hold-hands-and-sing-happy-songs type of gal that Daniel was trying to mold her into. She was trained for action. "It wasn't just a tribe, Lieutenant, there were numbers rivaling the thousands of Unas on this planet."  
  
Cassidy shrugged. "Even so, Doctor, our need outweighs theirs. Just because the ground is sacred to them doesn't mean it should prevent us from saving our planet."  
  
"We have to respect any species, no matter how they act or look. This includes respecting their sacred ground and traditions. A solution was found peacefully by talks with the Unas, and we were able to take all of our men off-world while still getting the ore we wanted. No blood had to be shed if only we approached the situation diplomatically." Daniel could almost hear Jack smacking his own head from the opposite side of the screen.  
  
Cassidy was focused in on the earlier parts of his statement. "What are you talking about when you refer to how they look or act?"  
  
"Some people thought that the Unas were no better than animals because of the way their physiology and culture made them out to be. They regarded them as lesser simply because they were different, though they had an advanced language."  
  
Finally, she could relate to something. Being a super soldier didn't make Cassidy necessarily different on the outside, but her entire make up was completely different from ordinary humans. If they would discover that her barcode was really simply a means for tracking an object, how would everyone react? It would no longer be a tattoo, but a sign of irregularity. Manticore had programmed into her the fear of being discovered by normal humans, fear that they would regard her as nothing more than a dangerous animal. No one deserved to be treated like that. "That's disgusting." Her words held volumes of emotion for her, but were enough to satisfy Daniel's distaste at what she had said earlier. Maybe she was better at this diplomacy bit than she thought.  
  
"Interesting." Doctor Freedman contemplated Cassidy's reaction as the two Colonels sat in suspense as to what other revelation he had happened upon. It wasn't until Jack cleared his throat that Sidney realized they were not liking being left in the dark. "Sorry. It's just that she actually reacted to Daniel's material. Before, she was exhibiting little emotion and little interest in the information, but it seems that discrimination caught her attention."  
  
Jack didn't get it. Then again, he didn't get a lot of things. That was why he enjoyed the Simpsons: everything was straightforward and he didn't have to waste precious brain cells figuring out smart people's thought processes. "She's a female, Doctor." He was referring to the military's disposition to treating females differently from males, a trait that he possessed as well. Jack tried not to be sexist, though he knew it was always in the back of his mind.  
  
Sidney nodded patiently. "Certainly, the fact that she is female and can relate to discrimination on some level is an acceptable answer. But, my gut tells me there is something more." No one argued with Freedman's gut, as it was usually right, especially when it came to the inner workings of the human psyche. "Her reaction was too strong for something that small. My impression is that discrimination on some other level is what is bothering her. The problem is, I can't seem to pinpoint what."  
  
Sliding her personnel file over to Colonel Larayne, Sidney presented Cassidy's Commanding Officer with the opportunity of solving his paradox. "Interesting." Larayne mimicked after a few minutes, leaving Jack alone in clueless Ville. "White female, middle class family, public school education with fair amount of diversity, picked to do the Black Ops program, and was selected to serve here…" Larayne trailed off, indicating all of Cassidy's traits and pointing out silently that there wasn't room for severe discrimination.  
  
Jack stared at the young Lieutenant for a moment before arriving at his own conclusion. "Men are pigs. Maybe that's it." The three men took their turn at surmising Cassidy's physical appearance before nodding their heads slowly.  
  
Doctor Freedman wasn't completely convinced that the explanation was that easy to discover, but he was going to let it go for now. There would be no way of truly knowing until Cassidy spoke with him on the subject, and the way she seemingly disappeared every time he happened to be in the same hallway as her told him that their next meeting wasn't going to be in the near future.

* * *

Please review! Chapter Six Coming Soon! 


	6. Shenanigans

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Thank you for the wonderful reviews! I appreciate them!

For those of you who are remaining true to this story, I've now developed an outline for how I want everything to go and you should see more frequent updates. I appreciate your support and truly hope you enjoy this story!

Also, the term _blurring_ refers to the super-fast way of moving the soldiers on Dark Angel had. They appear to blurr, hence, the term :D

* * *

**Chapter Six: Shenanigans**

Cassidy walked into the briefing room with the countdown looming over her head. Five weeks until the DNA results came in. Five weeks for her to come up with some sort of plan to prevent the SGC from knowing what she really was. The ominous deadline was just another factor in her life, hidden away with all the other worries she carried on a daily basis.

Colonel Larayne sat in a chair beside Colonel O'Neill, both men quietly talking amongst themselves about the new potentials on SG-10. Pretending not to hear as she sat opposite them, Cassidy busied herself with looking at the file in front of her as they discussed a new addition to the team. Unfortunately, the conversation was cut short when General Hammond joined the small group, leaving Cassidy to wonder why any addition was needed. She had been under the impression that Anderson, Meyers, Larayne, and herself would be SG-10.

Staring at the two men, Cassidy's mind throttled at all the various implications. The one that stuck out most in her mind was that one of the current team members had failed evaluations and would not remain in the SGC. But, as second in command, she would have been informed, right? As the conspiracy theory unraveled, Cassidy came to the realization that the reason they could have been discussing new members was that they had discovered who she really was.

A glance around the room revealed no armed guards or Manticore soldiers waiting to capture her and take her back to her prison. But, that didn't mean they weren't waiting somewhere else. The thought put Cassidy on edge.

General Hammond cleared his throat and brought the attention to the room to himself. Meyers and Anderson sat to Cassidy's left, immediately intent on whatever the General was about to say. Doctor Freedman sat to Cassidy's right, staring openly at his mysterious patient. It bothered her that he was maintaining such an interest in her. She had given him his interview, what more could he want?

After a few more indulged moments, Cassidy directed her stare directly at the doctor and waited for him to waver. He was surprisingly weak at the simplest of psychological exploitations and looked away quickly, having found his rival to be too much for him. This wasn't surprising to Cassidy, as she figured even the most basic thing as a stare had been hammered into her as a weapon at a very young age. She wouldn't be surprised if Manticore had been teaching it to her before she could walk.

"As you may very well know, your initial training has been complete. Though some contingencies are needed, you all now possess adequate knowledge in Goa'uld weaponry, history, and technology. We hope this training will help you in the field, but, as I'm sure Colonel O'Neill would inform you, the best training you will receive will be while you're out there."

Colonel O'Neill nodded, not taking the opportunity to say anything. He didn't need to, as those present could read it on his face. Fighting the good fight didn't always mean that everything was going to turn out all right. Cassidy knew this first hand.

Doctor Freedman stood up at the nod of the General. "I came here to inform you that you have all passed your psychological evaluations," Anderson allowed an audible sigh of relief escape his lips, while Cassidy remained indifferent. No use in giving the doctor the luxury in knowing he had worried her. "I also wanted to let you know that my door is always open if you'd like to discuss anything. I understand how stressful this job can be. My staff and I are on call twenty four/seven." A pointed look towards Meyers caused Cassidy to wonder what it was about Meyers that was piquing the psychiatrist's interest.

Jack took Sidney's place, his face decorated with a smile. "Congratulations, SG-10. I'm impressed with your progress thus far." Jack's free hand rested on Colonel Larayne's shoulder, while the other was tucked away in his pocket. "After discussing it with your CO, as well as pulling a few strings with the General, I have arranged for you all to join SG-1 on a night out on the town. Nothing too extravagant, of course, but it should be a nice change of pace before you become an active team. Just think of it as our way of welcoming you on board."

Anderson's face seemed relieved immediately, as though he had been fearing the worse from the get-go. Meyers chose to take the moment to study Cassidy's reaction, which had caught her off-guard as she had been attempting to read his. Quickly, she forced a small smile on her face. Inwardly, she wondered what interest Meyers had in her. The past week he had been pursuant in their working out together, eating together, or walking to briefings together. At first, she had pegged it as an annoying attempt to build some sort of kinship among the team; now, she dubbed it as rather suspicious. If that had been his intent, why wasn't he pursuing Anderson as well? A grim thought came into her head as Colonel Larayne stood as well. What if Meyers had a crush on her?

"All of your civilian clothes has been delivered to your quarters. We will be leaving in one hour, please be ready by then." His attention flew to Cassidy, who was currently the only female present. "That will, of course, be enough time?"

Cassidy sat back in her chair, willing him to say something else. She hated when people underestimated her power. Lucky for him she had been trained to be extremely patient and to avoid hotheadedness. Rash decisions in the field caused bad things to happen. "I wouldn't worry about me, Colonel. You'll find I'm very resourceful with my time."

General Hammond looked at his watch. "Well, I'm afraid I'm due for a phone call with the President. I trust you all will have an enjoyable time this evening."

Cassidy followed the others out of the room, wondering if there was an ulterior motive for this night out. They weren't supposed to have outside access for another two weeks, but then, who would be stupid enough to attempt to do anything under the watchful eye of the SGC's premiere team?

As Cassidy made her way down the corridor that led to her room, her thoughts were chaotic. On one hand, she was pondering whether previous teams had been taken out to dinner by SG-1. On the other hand, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was constantly under watch. No matter how she tried to convince herself otherwise, the fear that Manticore was closing in on her was always there, always lurking.

Entering her quarters, Cassidy wondered if that feeling would ever go away. She attempted to ease her nerves by concentrating on what she would wear for that evening, but the threat still plagued her every move. The physical confines of Manticore had been excruciating, but the mental confines of having escaped were proving to be difficult as well.

Forty-five minutes later, Cassidy emerged from her quarters ready for a night out on the town. She had managed to catch a fellow officer about her size and borrowed some clothes from the young woman. Dressed in a silky red noodle-strap shirt that hugged her curves, black pants, high-heeled boots, and a black jacket, Cassidy walked confidently toward the elevator, which had been designated as the meeting point for the group. Though fashion had never been a top priority on Cassidy's list, she had learned to appreciate clothes in the time she had been free. Mama Tara had always bought her the latest fashion magazines and encouraged her to develop her own sense of style. At the time, Cassidy had struggled to find that common ground with her adopted mother; now, she appreciated Tara's devotion.

Having decided to go full out for the event, Cassidy had taken the time to style her long brown hair so that it fell loosely with curls and had applied mascara. On a normal day, she avoided anything that had to do with beauty and chose to concentrate on the job at hand. But, she had decided that this was a night designated for at least mascara and had put it on dutifully, just the way Tara had taught her. Cassidy didn't own anything but mascara as she had never really seen any need for it. Knowing that the women around her applied much more didn't give Cassidy any confidence, instead doing just the opposite. Her lack of makeup meant that Manticore had only further succeeded in making her an all-around weapon. Pride in beauty wasn't something she had, rather, she hated it.

Teal'c stood dutifully by the elevator, caught up in a conversation with Anderson, Doctor Jackson, and Major Carter. As she drew nearer, she discovered it was only about where they were going for dinner, a place called "Shenanigans." Apparently, Teal'c took a great deal of interest in his food. Cassidy quietly joined the group, smiling at the acknowledgements the three gave her.

It wasn't long before Meyers, Larayne, and Jack joined the group. Upon sight of Cassidy, Larayne raised an eyebrow and bowed his head. "I must say, Lieutenant, I was beginning to wonder if you did possess any femininity in your frame." Cassidy couldn't decide whether to take it as a joke or an insult, but quickly broke out in a smile as the rest of the group did.

"You clean up well yourself, Colonel." She retorted easily, causing Larayne to return her smile.

The group piled into the elevator at the insistence of Jack, who was rambling on about how he had missed lunch today due to having to fill out a bunch of needless reports. It wasn't until Daniel broke in and informed everyone that all reports were needless to Jack that the group became enveloped in laughter. Cassidy stood comfortably between Samantha and Teal'c, her mind racing. Team unity had always been embraced at Manticore and she had grown up entirely used to it. Upon her escape, Cassidy had found herself in situations where she could only depend on herself. Somewhere, deep down, she was worried that she was now incapable of developing the bonds that Manticore had encouraged so highly during her youth.

"You are very quiet, LieutenantFaith." Teal'c said simply as they unloaded off the elevator and walked towards a van.

Cassidy was amused by the way the former Jaffa merged names together. "You may call me Cassidy, Teal'c, and I suppose I'm a bit worried."

Teal'c cocked his head. "Why are you worried, Cassidy?"

"It isn't everyday that new teams are granted a pass to leave the mountain in order to join SG-1 for dinner, is it, Teal'c?"

Teal'c shook his head thoughtfully. "No, you are right, it is not. However, I feel you underestimate Jack's love for Shenanigans."

As she stepped into the van, Cassidy looked around at the rest, noting their easy-going attitudes and genuine enjoyment of the situation. The two Colonels were in the front Captain seats, Samantha and herself in the far back, Meyers and Anderson in the seats in front of hers, and Teal'c and Daniel in the middle. Jack started up the van and eased through the security check. After everything had been cleared, they were underway to the place that had "the best steaks ever made," according to SG-1's CO.

"Who's up for 'Name That Number!"?" Samantha inquired once Jack had the van up to speed. Cassidy looked questionably at her seatmate, then glanced around to see if anyone knew what she was talking about.

From the look in the rearview mirror, Jack was acquainted with the game and didn't enjoy it in the least. "You just want to play that because you know you'll win, Sam."

Samantha looked at Cassidy with a smile. "Not necessarily, Jack, we have new players now. You never know." The van was silent, so Samantha forged on. "Okay, this is how you play. You have to say some number that correlates with a random statistic or fact. Then, the rest have to guess what it is. If they guess it, you're out, but if they don't, you win."

Colonel Larayne shifted so that he could peer at Samantha. "I knew there was a good reason I didn't request an astrophysicist on my team. They'd drive me batty."

Jack nodded his head in agreement, but lost the stare down with Carter in the mirror. Sighing, he took the opportunity to go first. "Alright, four."

"Number of bathrooms on Level 20." Teal'c said simply, causing the entire group to direct their attention onto him. "Jack used that five games ago."

Everyone shook their head in amusement, taking turns at trying to outsmart each other. By the time it had gotten around to Samantha and Cassidy, Larayne, Daniel, and Meyers had been eliminated. "Alright, 2.76." Everyone was silent, not having any idea what Carter was talking about. Cassidy raced through her knowledge of astrophysics, knowing that Sam was most likely drawing from her PHD to stump her colleagues. "Hint: It's generally associated with the letter K."

Cassidy stared at Samantha for a moment, then hit the side of her head lightly. "Cosmic Background Radiation. The K stands for Kelvin."

Major Carter didn't hide her surprise in Cassidy's knowledge. "Not many people I associate with can ramble that off the top of their heads." Samantha was referring to SG-1, who all took the remark with a smile.

Shrugging, Cassidy smiled. "Random facts seem to stick in my brain, I guess." Before anyone could say anything further, Cassidy quickly thought up a number of her own. "Fifteen."

Larayne suggested that it was the number of cooks it took to get a meatloaf right back at the mountain, Daniel rattled off some random statistic about consonants in a language, and Anderson contributed it was the number of times Jack had mentioned steak this evening. Cassidy smiled, then shook her head politely. "Number of strides from the Stargate to the door at a running pace."

"And Miss Faith wins!" Larayne said after everyone debated this fact for a moment. Cassidy was a bit shocked that she was the only person who had taken this fact into account, but, she reasoned, she was also the only soldier from birth in the van as well.

Meyers shifted in his seat to look at Cassidy, who hid her suspicion of his intentions by smiling. "So, Lieutenant, are you any good at pool?"

"You could say that I've won my fair share of games." More like every game she'd ever played.

"I suppose we'll have to match our skills up, then. I'm interested in knowing what other skills our XO possesses." Meyers's eyebrow was cocked at her apparent challenge, with a mischievous smile on his face.

Teal'c looked at the two. "I believe we will have to wager on the outcome of this game."

SG-10 didn't hide their shock at the larger man's apparent excitement at the idea of betting on the game. Jack immediately explained as he turned into the parking lot of the steakhouse. "Teal'c has discovered many loves on Earth. Among these are gambling, Star Wars, and food. He's very multi-dimensional."

The group became enveloped in laughter again as they stepped out of the van. Shenanigans turned out to be the standard steakhouse, set on the outskirts of Colorado Springs. The parking lot was full and the noise emanating from the inside promised travelers a good time. Jack began to reminisce on all the varieties of steaks they had as the group approached the doors.

"O'Neill, party of eight." Jack said comfortably upon sight of the host.

Looking down at his book, the host shifted his weight slightly. "Of course, Jack, we've taken the liberty of setting your table up with chips and salsa."

"Not that he comes here a lot or anything." Daniel joked as the group was taken to their table. Shenanigans was set up so tables were on the right, the bar on the left, and separating the two were four pool tables.

Cassidy sat between Anderson and Meyers and listened to the polite chatter amongst the group as everyone decided on what to order. "Remember, everyone, we're off-duty. Beers all around!" Jack was obviously enjoying himself as the others shook their heads in amusement.

As if on cue, a waiter brought eight frosted glasses of golden beer, foaming at the top. Each person was set up with their own glass before being asked what they would like to eat. Jack's usual turned out to be a large T-bone steak, baked potato, baked beans, and a salad "to make it healthy."

Teal'c ordered the same and the rest followed suit, with slight variations on the side. At Cassidy's turn, she looked up at the waiter. "Diablo Pasta and Caesar salad."

The waiter nodded hesitantly and walked away. Cassidy wasn't sure why he was so tentative with her order until Jack explained. "Cassidy, many men have fallen in tears with the Diablo Pasta. You sure you don't want anything else?"

Cassidy shook her head in the negative. She had always loved spicy food. But, the ability to handle extra spicy things was probably another quality donned upon her by Manticore, something she didn't enjoy thinking about.

The group idly chatted throughout dinner, careful to avoid the topic of the SGC or anything their jobs entailed. As the night unraveled, Cassidy found herself slightly more at ease with them and began to contribute her own comments and jokes. Each of their personalities began to shine through and Cassidy realized she was going to enjoy working with this group of people; provided they were as trustworthy as they presented themselves to be.

"I'll never understand how someone as little as you can eat all of that." Anderson commented lightly upon Cassidy's completion of her meal. The group was already on their third round of beers and Cassidy could see the signs of alcohol taking effect. Though they would never know, alcohol didn't quite affect her the way it did them. For Manticore's premiere creations, it took nearly as much as four times the amount of alcohol to produce any sort of viable effect. This was due to some obscure gene they had gained from one animal or another. Cassidy had never been drunk and she suspected she never would, but she was good at pretending.

Drinking had been a good way of celebration back at the academy and she was no stranger at forcing herself to appear inebriated. It was only another role that she had to play in the big act she called life. "Some of life's mysteries are better left unsolved, Mr. Anderson." Cassidy forced herself to be coy, smiling a bit more sloppily than before. Deciding that their attention on her metabolism wasn't the best, Cassidy quickly switched gears. "Jack, I think we better cut ourselves off or we're going to learn what the wrong side of a jail cell looks like."

Colonel O'Neill smiled and waved her comment off with his hand. "I've arranged everything, Cassidy, we're perfectly fine." With that, he ordered another round for the entire table.

Meyers took this opportunity to shift his attention toward Cassidy, who would have preferred he remain intent on his food. "How about that game of pool?"

Teal'c's eyes flashed in enjoyment upon hearing the challenge. Cassidy laughed and shook her head. "I suppose I did promise."

The group grabbed their drinks and moved around one of the center pool tables. As Cassidy and Meyers prepared their cues, Teal'c collected the wagers. Though she was pretending not to pay attention, Cassidy noted that everyone except Teal'c had decided Meyers was going to kick her butt. Deciding that she was going to take no prisoners, Cassidy allowed Meyers to break. The first game was over within twenty minutes and Jack, Sam, Larayne, and Anderson were all lightly teasing Teal'c on his loss. Jack took the opportunity to order another round of beers.

Pretending to be disappointed, Cassidy walked over to Teal'c, purposefully slower than usual and pulled his head down to hers. "Do it again, double this time. I promise you won't regret it."

Teal'c stared at her a moment before doing as she had told him. He couldn't figure out what made him trust Cassidy more: the sheer intensity in her voice or the look of pure warrior in her eyes. In his experience, a true warrior never lost.

The bets were all placed and the odds were heavily in favor of Meyers again. Looking as though he had had one too many, Meyers leaned heavily on his cue and gestured toward Cassidy. "I suppose we'll let the lady go first."

Cassidy nodded slowly and approached the table. She appeared to be indecisive at first, then made her move. Upon the first break, two solids went into opposite holes, causing the once talkative group to hush. Her next shot landed another one and so on until she had only the eight ball left with Meyers having not shot once.

"Jesus, I think I should have trusted my XO a bit more." Larayne said loudly enough for everyone to hear.

Breaking her supposed concentration, Cassidy smiled coyly. "That'll teach you." With that, she put the ball into the corner pocket and placed her cue on the table with a satisfied grin.

Meyers appeared to be somewhere between pouting and thinking of another game. Everyone handed over their money and started a new game up between Jack and Sam. Daniel nursed his beer and shook his head in the background. "Those two. Eternal rivalry, I swear." Cassidy was about to inquire what that meant but was cut short by Meyers sitting next to her.

"Good game." He said.

Nodding her head, Cassidy smiled. "You, too."

Meyers stared at her for a full minute before speaking again. "Would you mind if I spoke with you outside for just a moment?"

Cassidy's attention flew from the game at hand to him again. She wasn't sure whether to be disgusted or feel pity for her subordinate officer. The rest of the group was seemingly indifferent to the pair. "I suppose so."

As Cassidy and Meyers excused themselves from the group, Cassidy considered which route would be the best for her to take in letting him down. The 'unethical' argument seemed to be the best. There was no way they could have any sort of relations while working together and in the Air Force. Poor him.

The two walked outside in ease, Cassidy carrying herself with the confidence that came from an entire lifetime of training, Meyers walking slower and exhibiting the signs of alcohol. "So, what is it that you wanted to speak with me about?"

Meyers shook his head and put his finger to his lips. As they walked behind the building to the part of the lot that wasn't lit very well, Cassidy wondered just how determined the man was. "Sorry, we have to talk in private, it's about the program."

Cassidy remained indifferent, though her inner soldier was warning her of something. Off to her left was a large grouping of trees. Though enveloped in darkness, Cassidy's night vision told her something was in them. Whatever was there was keeping very quiet and low to the ground. All the same, she didn't think it was a cat. "I don't think it's very appropriate to discuss that right now, Captain Meyers. Perhaps once we've gotten back to the facility and have slept off the alcohol?" Outwardly, she shifted her weight uneasily and pretended to be a bit unsteady on her feet; inwardly, she was hoping Meyers wasn't making a mistake.

"You don't understand." Meyers said coolly, grabbing a hold of her arm tightly.

"Meyers, let go of me right now."

Her threat didn't sway him and he stood his ground. Quickly, she forced her arm away from his hand and stepped away. She didn't want to have to hurt him if she didn't have to. Shaking his head, Meyers did some sort of gesture with his hand. On cue, five men ran out from the trees and headed toward Cassidy and Meyers, armed with pistols. A van rounded the corner with its lights off and license plate hidden under mud.

Immediately sensing danger and fearing the worst, Cassidy jumped into action and attempted to run out of range of the men. Her attempt was thwarted by the van blocking off her exit from the rear, effectively surrounding her with the five strangers and Meyers. One of the men tossed Meyers a pistol and he wielded it at her menacingly. "Get into the van." He said quietly, which Cassidy responded to by shaking her head. "Now or I'll shoot you."

Cassidy's eyes narrowed as she sized up her enemy. She knew she'd be able to take them on, it was just the fact that all of them had pistols and she was not armed that worried her a bit. Whatever she did had to be quick and decisive. "This is your last chance to let me go."

Meyers laughed. "Or what? We'll regret it? Please."

"Actually, you will." As soon as she finished, Cassidy kicked Meyers gun out of his hand and yanked him in front of her as a human shield. Just as soon as he was in front of her, she used her superior strength to shove him toward two of her attackers, who were still registering what was going on. The three flew to the ground in a heap, leaving Cassidy the other three to worry about. Blurring toward the first, Cassidy forced the clip to fall out of the pistol before she broke his right arm. Still holding onto the injured man, she side kicked the other one nearest to her, causing him to sail back ten feet.

The last one stood bravely in his spot, though Cassidy recognized fear in his eyes. Dropping the man she had a hold of, Cassidy blurred to her would-be captor and grabbed a hold of the pistol. Swiftly, she punched him in the face, causing him to fall backward in agony. Sensing that the fallen trio behind her was stirring, Cassidy spun and shot Meyers in the leg.

To her surprise, the pistol didn't shoot out bullets, but tranquilizer darts, causing Meyers to fall over instantly in an unconscious state. Before she could react, one of the men on the ground shot her once in the shoulder. Incredibly angry, she yanked the dart out of her arm and quickly shot him as well. The third scrambled for his pistol and attempted to shoot her again, but missed. Cassidy prevented any further attempts by blurring to him and kicking the gun well out of reach. He attempted to kick her, which she responded to by breaking his leg at the shin, causing him to scream in agony.

A sound in the van caused Cassidy to whirl around, only to be shot three times consecutively by what she assumed to be the van's driver. As she fell to her knees, feeling the tranquilizer taking effect, Cassidy's heart went wild at the thought of Manticore having recaptured her. She was fully on the ground when the van driver used a walkie-talkie to radio something in. "We've got Lieutenant Faith in custody."

Then, the world went black.

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**Please Review! Chapter Seven Coming Soon!**


	7. Knock Out

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

**Another update! Thank you all for your spectacular reviews and guesses as to who it was that took Cassidy. I thoroughly enjoyed reading through them :D**

**I hope you enjoy this next installment of _The Perfect Soldier_.  
-Whit

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**Chapter Seven_: Knock Out_**

As Cassidy regained consciousness, she didn't allow the groggy aftereffects of the tranquilizer to cause her to make the mistake of allowing her captors to know they had the upper-hand. True, they did have the benefit of having the super soldier handcuffed to a metal chair and the knowledge of where they were, but they didn't know that they were messing with the wrong person. Or, at least she hoped not.

Memories of what happened were trickling back to her as she assessed her situation as much as she could with her eyes closed. Cassidy assumed she had been under for about an hour, but there was no way of telling for sure. She was positive that the tranquilizers wouldn't have the prolonged effect on her as they would on a normal human; however, all her estimates were off because she had been shot numerous times.

Discerning that she was in a large room with a concrete floor hadn't been hard. Sometime during her bout of forced sleep, they had removed her shoes and jacket, most likely in an attempt to ensure she was unarmed. Determining the size of the room had come from the echoes of the hushed voices of her captors, who were standing thirty feet away in front of her.

Though her hearing was blunted due to the tranquilizer, Cassidy was able to heed parts of their conversation nonetheless. She decided that there were three of them talking, but that didn't mean more weren't lurking somewhere. Remaining as still as she could, Cassidy focused in on them, forcing herself to use all her might to overhear what they were saying.

"She took them out without breaking a sweat!" Captor One said. The voice belonged to a female in her late twenties.

The voice that responded was male, early twenties. Cassidy guessed this was the van driver. "I've never seen anyone move that fast. It was unbelievable. Almost as though we never had the upper hand."

"How long do you suppose she'll be under?" A third voice cut in, another male, early twenties.

"No telling. She was shot four times by the damn stuff. One shot normally takes out a man twice her size."

"You don't suppose-" He was cut off by a cell phone ringing, which the first male answered.

As Cassidy listened to the end of the conversation she could distinguish, her mind began filing away the information she had gathered. She had decided these people weren't Manticore--at least, not a trained faction of the super-secret organization. Their work was much too sloppy and if these were trained soldiers, they would know not to speak in her presence, regardless of whether they had sedated her or not. That and handcuffing her to a chair wasn't a good plan of action when dealing with one of Manticore's creations; there were too many contingencies to worry about. Plus, if Manticore had been involved, their capture would have been much more controlled. The feeling she had got from her seizure was that it had been performed half-wittedly. They hadn't expected her to put as much of a fight up as she had. And there were too many people. Manticore would have sent one or two X5's after her.

"Understood." The man got off the phone and informed the others that the rest of the team would arrive in ten minutes.

Cassidy's mind raced in the little time she had left. There were too many questions and she didn't have enough answers. What was she doing here? Why had they abducted her? Why was Meyers in on it? Who exactly was Meyers? The lack of information made her nervous.

If these people weren't after her because she was a super soldier, which wasn't something she had entirely ruled out yet, what did they want? She knew that the going price on X-5's were millions upon millions of dollars, but this situation didn't feel right for a hostile sale. Surely if they knew she were capable of doing so much, they would have been better prepared? Then again, without the proper intel, there was no way for a person to know just what X-5's were capable of.

Curiosity to see who was coming drove Cassidy to sit still in her chair, head resting on her chest. Fury of the entire situation was building rapidly inside her as her cognitive skills returned. Whoever had done this to her was going to pay.

The minutes went by quickly. As the sound of doors screeching open came to her ears, she figured that she was probably in a warehouse somewhere in Colorado Springs. A vehicle drove in and pulled to a stop near where her assailants had been speaking previously.

"She's still unconscious?" An uneasy voice said as the door opened.

They waited to respond as the doors to the warehouse were closed quickly. She wasn't able to make out any sounds of a lock being placed on it, a good thing to know if she were able to escape. "Yes. Hasn't moved yet. I'm assuming you brought the serum?"

Another door on the vehicle opened then shut. "The doc says it'll be about twenty minutes before she'll be fully awake." This voice belonged to Meyers. Her would-be team member disappeared back into the vehicle once he had handed over the serum, leaving Cassidy to wonder just what was going on.

Her legs tensed as she heard them draw near. Though Cassidy's arms were strategically placed behind her back, her legs were free. She had to decide whether to act now or wait.

She allowed one of them to stick the needle in her arm, injecting her with the fluid that was supposed to counteract the tranquilizer. Though it would have no real effect on her, she didn't want them to be more suspicious of her abilities than they already were. As she sat quietly, she heard a small table being placed beside her, as well as a chair directly opposite of her. They were acting as though they didn't need to worry too much about her, disregarding how little distance they placed between her and themselves.

After five minutes, she began to stir, putting on an act of coming out of her drug-induced sleep. The activity paused around her and the group dispersed, presumably taking pre-designated positions. By the time her ten minutes were up, Cassidy was fully mobile and glaring intently at the man sitting opposite of her.

One of the males wore a smug grin on his face as he sized up Cassidy. From what he was able to gather, she was completely at his will. Cassidy could tell from the flash in his eyes that he was being overconfident, a characteristic she would be sure to use to her advantage. "Lieutenant Faith, nice of you to join us." His attempt at sarcasm was wrong. That was the first thing Cassidy picked up on. It certainly was convincing, but something about his voice inflection told Cassidy there was something all wrong about the situation.

Remaining silent, Cassidy glanced over at his partners in crime. The woman was dressed in jeans and a green t-shirt. At about 5' 7", she was average build and had blonde hair and green eyes. The two men sitting next to her were all about 6'1", muscular build, both with shaved heads. Their appearance all screamed military to her. But, what would the military want with her?

"This is the way we're going to play it, Lieutenant. You are going to tell me what I want to know and if you're lucky, you won't wind up dead." The guy opposite of her was slightly taller than his companions, but had the same shaved head and muscular build.

A flash of anger controlled Cassidy's body momentarily as she shifted her weight in the chair. If he came only three feet closer to her she would be able to use her legs to fight him off. "Let me go. You are making an incredibly big mistake."

He shook his head. "A mistake? Not from where I'm sitting. I've been offered quite a bit of money for this and I fully intend on delivering." Cassidy's heart stopped at those words. Did he know what she really was? "Tell me everything you know about the Stargate program."

The Stargate program? Cassidy's thoughts raced as she tried to figure out what was going on. Why did they need to know about the Stargate program when they had Meyers cooperating with them? None of it made sense. Choosing to ignore the interrogator, Cassidy focused in on the unmarked white van that she assumed was the one hiding Meyers. It had no windows save for the front, making it incredibly difficult to distinguish what was going on in it. Using her enhanced vision, Cassidy could barely make out movement in the vehicle. Meyers definitely wasn't alone in there.

The captor tapped his foot impatiently. "The Stargate program. Now." Cassidy narrowed her eyes defiantly at him, telling him all he needed to know. "Perhaps I didn't make myself clear, Lieutenant. Cooperate with us or we will kill you."

Having no other routes to take, and still not knowing what was going on, Cassidy decided that she was going to have to play along. "I heard you the first time, you big oaf."

He smirked, then stood up. The table off to her left was filled with supplies that she assumed were going to be used to torture her, though none seemed life threatening. A knife, some scalpels, an instrument she assumed could be used for teeth pulling, a rope, an iron bar, and several pins. She was surprised in the simplicity of the instruments and wondered if they were there only to intimidate her. With Manticore, it was torture first and ask later. As he struck her across the face hard, Cassidy still felt like there was something wrong about his actions. They just felt off.

"We know you're with the program, Lieutenant."

He remained close enough so that she could attack him with her legs if need-be. Cassidy shook her head and laughed to throw him off. Though his hit had hurt enough, her enhancements had only made the pain momentarily. "I think you have the wrong girl, you twit. I work in deep-space radar telemetry."

"Lieutenant, we know who you are. You graduated with a Psych degree. That has nothing to do with radar. Cut the bullshit."

"What you think you know is obviously far from the truth. I'm studying the psychological effects of prolonged exposure to space. Therefore, you are a moron and I suggest letting me go before something unfortunate happens."

It was his turn to laugh. "I'm not afraid of you, Lieutenant."

"Then you are an idiot." She said smoothly.

Another hit, this time harder, delivered his reply. "Start talking or I start using devices."

Cassidy laughed at his empty threat. The man was acting as though he had no drive behind his actions, as though he didn't actually want to be doing this. What was going on? "You can use all the devices you want. I'm telling the truth. Now you and your Scooby squad can go away."

More movement in the van caught her eye. "You aren't a very cooperative person, Lieutenant." One of the other soldiers joined her interrogator, this one playing with a long stick.

Cassidy rolled her eyes. "I was told as a child I didn't play well with others." As a child she was training to be an assassin.

"Perhaps this will influence your decision?" The man quickly stuck the stick to her stomach and pushed a button, sending several volts of electricity screaming into her body.

It took her a moment to gather herself before spitting at the two. Now she was just getting pissed off. "We know you are the second in charge of SG-10, one of the Stargate teams. We need to know all the information you can give us on the Goa'uld and access to the facility."

"Listen, I think you have the wrong gal."

"She's not lying." The blonde woman muttered from her place behind a computer. The other male stared at the screen for a second, then alarmingly back at Cassidy. Somehow, they were performing a lie detector test. Pity they had to do it on a person that was trained to evade those type of things long ago. It was practically genetic.

A glimmer of confusion popped up her interrogator's eyes. He couldn't figure out why it wasn't showing she was lying. Having nothing better to do, the second one zapped her again with his stick, this time holding it onto her longer. Gritting her teeth, she glared at both of them. "You have one minute to release me, you jackasses."

"And if we don't?" Retorted the interrogator, still trying to come to grips with the situation.

"Why don't you go ask Meyers in there what happened to his friends?"

Everyone suddenly froze up, knowing that they had not mentioned the presence of her team member in the warehouse. "Who the hell are you talking about?" She was asked, though Cassidy could tell he was scrambling for an explanation. Things were beginning to turn in her favor.

"Don't give me that. I know he's in that van over there. And he's not alone."

She was hit again, though this time she was sure they were grasping at whatever they could think of. Obviously they had not planned on her knowing this. Shaking her head, Cassidy shifted again, then looked up at the two defiantly. "Minute's up."

With that, she swung her legs out, tripping her interrogator. The man with the electro-stick approached her only to be kicked back ten feet. He hit the table with his head and went down with a thud. Her interrogator was getting up, so she hopped to her feet and used the chair in her hunched position to hit him hard on the head.

The two behind the desk reacted instantly, approaching her as quickly as they could, electro-sticks in hand. After being zapped once, Cassidy flipped herself and the chair she was attached to backwards, sending the other male flying backwards. The female zapped Cassidy again just before Cassidy tripped her and kicked her across the face.

She heard the door to the back of the van fly open and Meyers came into view. "Cassidy." Was all she heard before she charged him as fast as she could.

He had been caught off-guard and the two went down in a heap: Cassidy not having that much maneuverability with the chair attached and Meyers squirming to get out from under her. Using her strength, she pinned him down and kicked up with her legs so that she did a small flip, landing the chair right side up. It was positioned so that she was on top of his body, the rungs underneath the chair pinning him. "What the hell is going on, Meyers?" Before he could sputter something out, she jumped slightly and came down with the chair harder so that he lost the air in his chest. "And I'll know if you're lying so don't even think about it."

His eyes were wide and obviously surprised as he fully registered the situation. One moment they had been torturing her and the next she had control. Though Cassidy was glaring at him, her focus was on the movement in the van and her assailants stirring off to the side. There was no way she would be able to overpower them all if they came at her, especially with the chair attached to her. "Move one more inch and I'll kill him." She said threateningly, placing her feet by his neck.

The three on the floor stopped all movement instantly. "That goes for the people in the van, too. Come out with your hands up."

Meyers breathing changed as he stared at Cassidy. A few moments passed before she could see the van shifting slightly, the passengers inside moving. "Lieutenant, release Major Meyers." Jack O'Neill's voice caught Cassidy off-guard.

The people on the floor gingerly stood up and cautiously approached her, unsure of whether or not she was going to attack again. "Colonel, with all do respect, what the hell is going on here?"

Her anger was evident to everyone, especially Meyers, who was getting nervous by Cassidy's ability to take people out with her legs. "Cassidy, release Meyers and we'll explain everything." This time, Colonel Larayne came into view.

Glaring at the two, Cassidy hopped to her feet and set herself and the chair a few feet away from Meyers. The scene would have ordinarily been humorous, the sight of someone attached to a chair and attempting to walk, but no one was laughing here.

The van that Cassidy had been abducted in opened to reveal Dr. Jackson, Major Carter, and Teal'c. Captain Anderson sheepishly came out of the van that had held the Colonels. "Someone unlock these cuffs." Cassidy said with her teeth gritted.

Everyone looked about hesitantly, as if daring one another to perform the task. Finally, the keys were thrown to Teal'c who approached Cassidy and unlocked her restraints.

Immediately, Cassidy jumped to her feet and put distance between herself and the others. No one was in her way if she needed to scramble to the door. "Start talking." Cassidy instructed, no longer caring if she was being disrespectful. The way she figured it, the need for properness went out the door as soon as they had kidnapped her.

"Maybe we should wait until we get back to the facility?" Doctor Jackson offered diplomatically, but immediately flinched at the menacing glare Cassidy tossed at him. From what he had gathered, Cassidy was able to kill him without a second thought. Definitely not someone to mess with.

Cassidy shook her head boldly and took another step toward the door. "Either start talking or I'm out of here. I have no problem with disappearing."

"Lieutenant, this was only a test." Colonel Larayne offered.

Cassidy glared at the group with her arms crossed. "A test?"

Meyers stepped forward a slight bit. "We had to see if you were psychologically able to withstand torture. The Stargate program cannot have loose ends. If you were captured by the Goa'uld, we need to know that you wouldn't reveal anything."

As she weighed this explanation, Cassidy realized that the real reason she was so uneasy was that this was a stunt that Manticore would pull. They often tricked their soldiers into training sessions or just outright tortured them for the hell of it. As she stared everyone down, she realized that the SGC was beginning to be a lot more like Manticore than she would have liked. "And going out tonight?"

"You were given real alcohol to pacify you. The bartender is actually someone with the SGC. He gave us non-alcoholic beer."

An emotion tugged slightly at Cassidy's brain, catching her by surprise. Was she actually hurt at this betrayal? Shaking her head, she dismissed it immediately. This was what happened when one opened herself to people, she got hurt. That was a lesson she was supposed to have learned long ago, but had decided to forego it for these people. And what had they done? Taken her confidence and used it against her. She should have been more suspicious!

"I'm not actually part of SG-10, Lieutenant." Major Meyers began. "I'm a psychiatrist working on Doctor Freedman's team. I was implanted to befriend you and draw up a psychological eval unbeknownst to you."

Cassidy remembered all the advances Meyers had made and the off-handed comments Freedman had directed at him. It all made sense now. He hadn't been trying to seduce her, he had been attempting to see if she were sane.

"And them?" Cassidy gestured toward her other assailants, two of whom were nursing bleeding parts on their bodies.

"Lieutenants Wilkinson and Marshall are part of our interrogation specialists on the base." The woman and the guy with the electro-stick waved meekly. "Captain Trenton is part of SG-5." Major Carter explained.

Nodding toward the computer, Cassidy asked her final question. She determined that it was of alien origin, but that was about it. "The lie detector?"

"The Tok'ra have developed a new detection system that is supposed to be flawless. Obviously, it malfunctioned." Jack said, exhibiting how little faith he had in their allies.

Cassidy didn't correct him. He didn't need to know what she was capable of. Already, she had shown them too much. She just hoped that this wouldn't come back to haunt her. Now, she had a decision to make. Obviously, the SGC was more threatening than she had determined. Manticore would have performed this act without apology or explanation, killing her if they deemed it necessary. Did she want to risk returning on her own, placing herself out there for Manticore to find? "Did I pass?"

Meyers relaxed somewhat. "Before you decided to kick everyone's asses, you weren't revealing anything. There was no way you could know this was a set up, so yes, you passed." Cassidy was tempted to grin at his insolence, but decided it wasn't appropriate.

After standing uncomfortably for a few more moments, Jack suggested that they all load up and go home. Noting that her assailants all chose to ride in the van opposite hers, Cassidy got into the vehicle and sat next to Teal'c. His questioning stare didn't deter her quiet state, only forcing her to retreat further into her thoughts.

The two Colonels and Anderson rode with them as well, leaving the rest to ride in the other vehicle. Cassidy heard murmurs that Doctor Frasier was going to have a cow when she received more patients, but dismissed it. It was their fault they messed with the wrong person.

"Your fighting technique is most impressive, Cassidy." Teal'c offered the compliment quietly.

Cassidy stared at the ex-Jaffa for a moment. What could she say? Thanks, I've been training since birth? Yeah, I was genetically enhanced to do this sort of thing? "Uh huh." She said uselessly, concentrating on the terrain that was floating by the windows of the van.

"I wasn't aware the military instructed their soldiers how to do that. Master Bra'tac will be most impressed."

Not knowing who Bra'tac was, Cassidy refocused her attention to Teal'c. "I've picked up bits and pieces everywhere, I suppose."

The car was silent for a moment before Teal'c spoke again. "It would be an honor to fight alongside someone as talented as you."

Cassidy didn't know how to react. She was used to people being astonished at her abilities, but somehow, the way Teal'c said it was complimentary. She knew from mission reports that Teal'c was considered a great warrior himself.

"One broken arm, one broken leg, five concussions… I'd say you defended yourself quite well." Jack said as the silence grew once again.

Shrugging, Cassidy dismissed it. "Survival instincts." Her explanation for everything she had done was weak, but she couldn't think of anything else to say.

Colonel Larayne shifted in his seat, staring openly at his XO. For a few moments, Cassidy wondered if he were going to say anything. "You did good, Faith. I suppose you weren't so bad of a choice after all."

With that, the ride was silent back to the facility. Upon arrival, the group checked in and the participants in the kidnapping were ushered to the infirmary. Jack disappeared upon hearing Doctor Frasier's name, claiming he needed sleep, but Cassidy was sure it was his way of avoiding needles. Carter and Jackson excused themselves, citing that they had to catch some sleep as well as they were due off-world tomorrow.

Cassidy sat on the bed, watching as Frasier checked out the injuries she had inflicted. "Lieutenant, we'll be meeting our real fourth member tomorrow at 0600 for a training session."

Anderson's eyes shifted at the clock. From the looks of it, he didn't like what he saw. Larayne checked out the time, and seeing that it was past midnight, the two excused themselves.

Frasier approached Cassidy and checked for a concussion. Cassidy knew that there was nothing wrong with her, but there was no way of telling the doctor that. She felt threatened just being in the presence of medical personnel, as if her breathing would divulge who she truly was.

"You seem fine, Lieutenant, which is more than I can say for your attackers." Though it was intended to portray an annoyed tone, Cassidy detected a hint of admiration in the doctor's voice.

Standing up, Cassidy walked out of the infirmary and headed toward the elevator. She had some serious aggression to work out in her quarters and the sooner she was able to do it, the better it would be for everyone. As she waited for the car to come to the correct level, she sensed the approach of a large person behind her. Without turning around, she crossed her arms and said, "Hello, Teal'c."

The ex-Jaffa didn't seem at all surprised by her detection. "I was wondering if you would join me in some sparring some time? It has been long since I've had the pleasure of practicing with one of considerable talent."

Cassidy considered this. She suspected that Teal'c knew there was more to her than her small frame let on already and the extra workout wasn't going to hurt anyone. Plus, she could see what the man was really made of. "That sounds promising. Would you like to join me tomorrow after my team's training?"

What appeared to be a small smile crossed Teal'c lips. "That would be most excellent." Bowing, he turned away from her and went down the hallway again.

Before Cassidy could reconsider her decision, she entered the elevator and headed toward her room. Walking down the empty corridor, Cassidy focused her thoughts on what she was going to do with the remainder of her night. A workout and shower were at the top of her list. Afterwards, she decided, it was high time she develop a plan to prevent the SGC from discovering who she was through her DNA.

Entering her quarters, Cassidy quickly jumped into performing advanced karate workouts she had learned at Manticore. The faster she went, the faster she thought until finally she decided she was going to break into the lab and switch out the samples.

Four weeks and six days to pull off the heist or get the hell out of dodge. Not bad.

* * *

**Please Review! Chapter Eight coming soon!**


	8. The Battle of the JellO

**Author's Note**

Hey, all! Sorry for the horrendously LONG time between updates. I've had a massive load of classes and recently got hurt at work. Good news, though! I have spring break this next week and am hoping to satisfy all of you with a few chapters. That's right! A few!

I hope y'all enjoy this chapter!

Whit

**Chapter Nine: The Battle of the Jell-O**

It was three o'clock in the morning and Cassidy had long given up the chance of having any human contact. Aside from the guards, of course, whom she completely ignored as she wandered the halls. Secretly, she was getting a feel for the security system of the SGC by memorizing where every camera was and all the guards' habits. This information would prove to be invaluable come time to take back her blood.

The corridors proved to be somewhat relaxing as they provided Cassidy with a quiet place to think. Her quarters were beginning to become monotonous. This way she could get out, breathe some fresh air, meander peacefully about, and not have to worry about any conspiracies involving beer.

"Lieutenant Faith?" Someone called out from behind her. Cassidy forced herself not to punch through a wall in anger. She didn't want to talk to anyone, much less him at the moment.

'Go Away.' Her mind called out as Cassidy wished she had been programmed with telepathic tendencies. "What can I do for you, Doctor Jackson?" She asked tersely, obviously not shy about conveying that she would have preferred to have been alone.

Daniel ignored her annoyed tone. Though mindful of the events that had transpired earlier, he figured there would be no way Cassidy would attempt to pull anything on him in the SGC. Besides, there were cameras everywhere. "I just wanted to say hello." Daniel paused, almost as though he were hoping for a reply. When he got nothing but a questioning stare, he continued. "So, what are you doing out at this time of the morning?"

Cassidy maintained a neutral expression as she searched for an answer that would satisfy the curious archaeologist. "Getting some hot chocolate." She replied, cocking her head down the corridor that luckily eventually lead to the mess hall.

"Ah, can't sleep?" Daniel asked, shifting the books he was carrying from one arm to the other.

One thing that Cassidy didn't like much was questions. Especially from people she didn't trust. Pity that was everyone affiliated with the SGC and Manticore. Hell, that was everyone who wasn't her. "Something like that, yeah." Turning to continue her voyage to the mess hall, Cassidy was disheartened that Daniel followed along. Maybe she would have to kill him after all.

"I seem to be something of a workaholic. Probably not a good thing, I guess, since Jack told me we're going to train with your team tomorrow. I just can't help but be fascinated by this new language SG-9 discov-"

"You're training with us tomorrow?" Cassidy interrupted, not caring to hear about some interesting dialogue that transpired between two foreign species. All she wanted to know was what was pertinent to her well-being.

Daniel nodded his head matter-of-factly. "It seems we're taking SG-10 under our wing for now until you can get on your own two feet."

"I wasn't aware that we needed any help." Cassidy replied monotonously. She was worried about the implications of SG-1, the SGC's premiere team, deciding to go train with SG-10 spontaneously. Cassidy had never been one for spontaneity. It led to things happening that hadn't been accounted for, which led to death.

"Oh… uh…" Daniel sputtered as he thought of a reply that would redeem himself. Cassidy could almost see the inner workings of his mind reminding him of what had transpired earlier that night. "Jack and your CO have somewhat of a competitive relationship."

Cassidy walked on saying nothing. She knew that explanation was a lie, but didn't want to reveal she thought so. She now knew that revealing her cards to any of these people would be a horrible mistake. They couldn't be trusted. She was alone. "How interesting. Well, Doctor, this appears to be my stop."

Daniel looked into the mess hall and smiled. "Perhaps I'll join you. A cup of coffee wouldn't hurt me." Cassidy forced a smile, though inwardly she was groaning. So much for investigating the security. It appeared the rest of the evening she would spend dispensing of her new tagalong.

She went to the hot chocolate machine without saying a thing and quickly brewed herself a large cup. Without waiting for Daniel to get his cup of coffee, she walked over to a table and sat down for the inevitable talk. Obviously Daniel had something on his mind that he wanted to chat with her about. He was making it far to difficult for her to get rid of. "You were impressive." He complimented as he sat down at the table with his notes and books.

A glance told her that he was researching the dialect of some foreign language, the workings of which were connected to an ancient Mayan caste. That correlation wouldn't be revealed by her, however. Cassidy had no intention of wowing Daniel with her fantastic skills in linguistics or anything else for that matter. What he needed to know was that she was a normal human being. Period. "Yeah, you know, making a cup of hot chocolate takes skill." She said simply, hoping that Daniel would take the hint.

"No, I mean earlier tonight." Daniel said, not taking the bait.

"I know." She said coldly as she sipped at her drink. She refused to give him the satisfaction of looking into his eyes. They used to say eyes were the window to the soul. Whoever had invented that phrase was a romantic who wore blinders as to what the true world was like. In reality, the eyes were man's greatest device to deceive. It allowed people to lie, cheat, and swindle, all on the basis that innocent creatures thought they could determine the goodness out of someone by a mere glance into their eyes. Daniel's eyes told her he was hiding many secrets.

Daniel crossed his arms and leaned back into his chair. Jack had told him to give him insight into Cassidy's thinking. It wasn't going as well as he would have liked. "I'm sorry for the entire thing. But, once you get out into the field, you'll understand. The Goa'uld are ruthless types. They will stop at nothing to get what they want, including torturing you to death and reviving you just to see you suffer again."

"I understand." She said coldly. Since she could walk she had been punished far worse than the average adult human being. When she did something that wasn't acceptable, Manticore made sure that she learned her lesson. Even after all these years, the memories of her early childhood haunted her.

"We just have to make sure Earth isn't put at risk. It isn't anything against you. Anyone in a Command or direct line of command position gets tested like that."

"I said I understand, Doctor." Cassidy turned her gaze to infiltrate Daniel's direct line of sight. The recoil was enough to tell her he got the point.

Taking a long drink of his coffee, Daniel stared at Cassidy for a few more moments. Gently, he took off his glasses and crossed his arms once more. "In any case, I'm sorry. It isn't something that I'd want to go through. On the plus-side, welcome to the family."

Cassidy tensed up at the mention of the connection to these people. She chose to ignore him for now, deciding it a better course of action to drink her hot chocolate than to tell him what she thought of the entire program. 'All with time, Faith, all with time.' She reminded herself. Patience was a sacred art form for any good soldier; more so for a perfect one.

"Tell me, why did you join the military, Cassidy?"

Mimicking his posture by folding her arms as well, Cassidy redirected her attention towards Daniel. Obviously, the standard 'I escaped from Manticore all those years ago' story wasn't going to hold much water. "I was orphaned and had nowhere else to go. The Air Force offered to pay for my education, I offered my body in return."

"Black Ops as well. Jack tells me that's a high primo thing to get into. Pretty impressive."

Cassidy remained unaffected by his compliments. "I suppose so." As she stared down the blue-eyed archaeologist, Cassidy felt something in side her come forth that hadn't been there for a long time. The urge to talk with someone. To tell them all about her past and to be accepted. Unconsciously, she shook her head to rid herself of the ridiculous notion. 'Trust no one, Faith.' She reasoned to her inner soldier. It was a constant battle: the fight between what she was and who she wanted to be. Maybe Manticore had been hell, but at least she had been able to relate to people in the exact same situation. Here, everyone was different than her. There was no one she could talk to; no one that could understand her.

The urge to hunt down her sisters and brothers was only pacified by the warning Zac had given her all those years before: "Lie Low. Don't make any waves. Steer clear of Manticore. I'll call you." He hadn't called in a long time. What she would give to just be able to hug Max and Bryn.

"Are you enjoying your time here at the SGC?"

Pulled back to reality, Cassidy redirected her attention toward the man once again. "My job isn't to enjoy anything, Doctor. It's to carry out my duties to the best of my abilities and try not to get killed in the process." Standing up, she stepped a few feet back before continuing. "If you'll excuse me, I have some paperwork to get to before training." With that, she exited the mess hall and hurried to her quarters. The thought of human contact was nearly repulsive at the moment. All that accompanied her on her journey was the questioning stares of the guards as they watched her rush past.

Two hours of a workout later, Cassidy was ready to re-emerge into the world and head for the training facilities on base. Quietly, she walked down the corridor, not looking forward to the scene that awaited her. Not only was she going to have to acquaint herself with a newbie, but she had to worry about her teammates and SG-1 as well. After earlier, who knew what they were capable of?

As she stepped into the room, she noticed immediately that the two Colonels had barricaded themselves off in the corner. Apparently, whatever they were discussing was enough to keep both of the men animated. Teal'c was off to the right running through some basic warm-up exercises and Carter, Daniel, and Anderson had not yet arrived. Their late night warned Cassidy that Daniel was probably going to show up late, but she wasn't about to be open about that information. It was a pity that she didn't require any sleep.

The two Colonels ceased their whispering when Cassidy drew nearer. Immediately, her senses were piqued to their discussion. As she nonchalantly retreated in the opposite direction, they hesitantly picked up their conversation again. "What do you mean Daniel got nothing off of her? He's like… a people magnet or something! He could get a rock to talk!"

Jack shrugged. "He said it was like talking to a brick wall." He paused. "Not that it may have anything to do with the fact that we kidnapped her and all."

Larayne nodded his head. "When did they institute that, anyway? Sure as hell glad I didn't have to go through something like that."

Jack glanced at the clock before replying. "After Lieutenant Johnson from SG-13 was captured, they decided any upper-level officers need to be trustworthy. So far, the tests have been far less extreme." He turned his gaze at Cassidy, who was avidly doing some kickboxing warm-ups while listening. "Special Forces get treated differently, Clark. You know that as well as I do."

Clark Larayne studied his subordinate. "Special Forces or not, Jack, this girl… there's something about her. She passed the detector without even one spike! Not to mention the fact that she took out all of our people while handcuffed to a chair and supposedly intoxicated. You don't think-?"

"I'm not assuming anything at this point. Tests have shown up nothing. Right now, we're just rolling with the punches."

Cassidy's heartbeat quickened and she nearly ceased all movement. What did he think? More importantly, what did he know! "Ah, Lieutenant, glad to see you made it!" Colonel Larayne called out to the newest arrival.

Completing a round-off kick, Cassidy spun around to see who her superior was addressing. There stood a woman about 5'7", slender, blonde hair, and blue eyes. She was carrying around a bunch of books, which nearly made Cassidy burst out laughing. Obviously the young woman hadn't an idea of what was expected of her during the training sessions. Smiling shyly, she waved back to the Colonel in reply. The lack of animosity between them made Cassidy even more suspicious of Larayne. Why had he treated her with such distaste and not the newest member? "Lieutenant Lynn Sander reporting for duty, sir."

Anderson and Larayne walked over to the physiologist as Cassidy continued her warm-up. While executing some jumping spin kicks, she decided that Lynn was about 28, meaning she probably went on to get her doctorate before being assigned to the Stargate program. That would probably make Carter drool. Behind her, the amount of chatter increased, telling Cassidy that Daniel and Carter had arrived as well. Ignoring their attempts to garner her attention, Cassidy brought her right leg up parallel to her body, so that her foot was just above her head. After a moment, she dropped it and did the same with the left, aware of someone softly approaching from behind.

When they had come within distance, Cassidy dropped her leg and spun around so that her right foot was merely inches from Anderson's face. "Whoa. I was just coming over to tell you that we're starting our session." He apologized, obviously a bit antsy around her after the night before.

Cassidy nodded and immediately felt sheepish. For someone trying hard to blend in and not be suspicious, she wasn't doing so swell. "Shall we see what the good Colonels have in store for us?" She invited. Her tone was uncharacteristically warm, though her emotions were anything but. Until Anderson proved otherwise, he was just as much of an enemy as anyone else. She would have to come to trust her teammates, Cassidy knew, or it could mean she'd end up dead in the field; however, until they earned it, she was going to remain distant.

"Alright, now that everyone's here, I figured we could work on some hand-to-hand combat. Each member of SG-1 will be paired with SG-10. We'll switch until everyone's gone against each other." Jack waved at everyone to pair up. Immediately, Daniel flocked toward Cassidy, who merely nodded at him. For some reason, she felt like a dog owner with a very clingy dog. "Colonel Larayne and I will be observing. Go forth, youngsters!"

Cassidy watched as Teal'c and Anderson easily got into the swing of things, while Sam and Lynn took a moment to introduce one another before starting. "Ready?" Daniel asked.

The two Colonels weren't hiding the fact that they were staring right at her. Shrugging, Cassidy nodded. She would have to downplay her skills a lot if she were to go back under the radar. "Let's go."

Daniel dropped into a low stance and waited patiently for her to do the same. When she didn't, he went after her, swinging first with his left and then his right. Cassidy easily bypassed his hits and dropped quickly to undercut him with her leg. As he flew onto the ground backwards, she rushed forward and put her foot to his face. She helped him up just as soon as he had admitted defeat. "Danny, don't let her win too easily!" Jack called out exasperatedly.

This time Daniel came at her with a side kick, then rounded with another punch. Cassidy pretended to be too caught up with his kick to notice the punch and took the blow that he dealt. Her inner soldier was chastising her the entire time the two sparred, knowing that she was capable of so much more. Hell, if Daniel had been any sort of a real threat, he would have been dead by now. Cassidy kept on faking inadequacy, though, knowing that she was being watched intently by her CO.

When it came time to switch, Cassidy was approached by Sam Carter, who smiled as she greeted her. Shortly after starting, Sam dropped and attempted to trip Cassidy, who easily jumped over the leg and kicked Sam lightly in the air. As she walked around the downed Major, Sam grabbed onto Cassidy's leg. The two quickly jumped up from their positions on the ground and went at some light punches. With each blow, Cassidy found it harder and harder to restrain herself, sometimes catching her soldier taking over by displaying some fantastic move. If only she would be able to really fight these people, what fun that would be.

Finally, the time came for Cassidy to spar with Teal'c, who bowed to her as she approached him. Cassidy crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow in a challenge. Secretly, she had been looking forward to working with Teal'c, knowing that she could go harder against him without appearing as though she were a genetically altered being. "Are you ready LieutenantFaith?" Teal'c questioned. In reply, Cassidy faked with her right leg, giving her enough momentum to kick Teal'c with her left. Teal'c caught her left leg and pulled it upward.

Cassidy quickly responded by pushing off with her right and using her left for leverage as she pretended to kick Teal'c in the face. He stepped backward as she landed on the floor crouched. When he approached again, she stood up and kicked him again. This time, he reacted by knocking her foot out of the way and punching her away. Cassidy felt energized at the challenge he was presenting her. As they finished up, she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to go up against Teal'c with all her strength. He may actually be able to last longer than the average human.

The rest of the time was spent working with long sticks that were supposed to symbolize staff weapons. Teal'c took the initiative and was showing everyone how to use them to defend themselves. Apparently, it made a wicked baseball bat as well as an energy weapon. By the time eight o'clock rolled around, the group called it quits and began to scurry off to work. "Lieutenant Faith!" A woman's voice called out behind her. Cassidy recognized the voice as her new subordinate. "I just wanted to acquaint myself with you. I'm Lynn." The physiologist said sweetly as she extended her hand.

Cassidy took her hand, noting how the woman attempted to squeeze a bit more than was proper. Obviously she either wanted to impress Cassidy or wanted to let her know she wouldn't be dominated over. Either way, it wasn't working. "Yeah, great to meet you." Attempting to walk around the blonde, Cassidy was thwarted by Lynn sidestepping to remain in front of her.

"Do you have some time today to meet with me? I'd like to get to know all of you before we get assigned our first mission."

Shifting her weight onto her left leg, Cassidy smirked at the woman before her. Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she stared her down for a moment before replying. "This isn't a sorority, Lieutenant. You can get to know me through our missions." To drive the point in, she continued. "I don't have much of an interest in being anyone's friend." Walking around the shocked team member, Cassidy walked off to meet with the General.

"Don't worry about it, Lynn. She's like that with everyone." Anderson offered as he put a hand on the blonde's shoulder.

Larayne approached the two and watched as Cassidy walked out of the room confidently. "Too bad she's one hell of a soldier or we'd get rid of her." He joked, then took on a more serious tone. "I think it'll take her awhile to get used to us. But I'm sure she'll come around."

Teal'c followed the young Lieutenant out of the door and waited until they were out of sight before speaking. "LieutenantFaith."

"Yes?" She questioned after coming to a stop. She had hoped to make a clean exit, but obviously Teal'c wasn't into following her plans. After a moment of staring each other down, Cassidy realized why he had followed her. "Oh, right, the sparring. Would you mind if we waited until the room has cleared out? I'm not that big into being the star attraction."

Teal'c bowed his head graciously. "Of course. Perhaps in one hour?" Cassidy nodded in reply and watched as he calmly walked back to the training area. With every move exuding confidence, Teal'c was the picture of a strong warrior. Pity he hadn't been literally made to overpower anything that got into his way. As Cassidy turned around, she realized she was looking forward to battling it out with Teal'c. He was, after all, the only thing close to a fair match she had on the base.

Cassidy didn't stop walking until she had reached the General's office. "General." She greeted after being given the command to enter.

General Hammond smiled warmly and gestured for her to sit opposite of him. "Lieutenant, thank you for coming. I trust you met your newest team member today?"

"Yes, sir. We were acquainted."

"I'm sure you'll appreciate her as an addition to the team. Lieutenant Sander has been with us for a year now and has done some exemplary work with SG-3." The General paused for a moment making sure that Cassidy was listening to him. "But I didn't call you into my office to chat about the Lieutenant. I called you in here to talk about you."

Cassidy's heart quickened. First last night, then the Colonels talking about her, and now this? What was going on? "Sir?"

"Don't worry, Lieutenant, you've done nothing wrong. Actually, this is a good thing." Grabbing a black box off his desk, he handed it over to Cassidy. "As you are aware, it is quite unorthodox for a subordinate to have a higher rank than their Executive Officer. I didn't want to do this before, just in case things didn't work out." He was referring to her interrogation. "But I'm happy to tell you that you are now a Captain in the Air Force. Congratulations."

Staring at the box, Cassidy wasn't sure what to do first. Obviously being promoted to Captain was a great thing, but it didn't make any sense. She had just graduated the Academy! "I'm afraid I don't understand, General."

George Hammond nodded understandably. "It isn't something you should really second-guess, Lieutenant, but I can tell you your time spent with the Black Ops does give you certain advantages others don't have. You can ask Jack about it. He was given the same opportunities as you."

That explanation made sense. Her time with the Special Forces had been spent doing things that any normal officer wouldn't dream of. Much less any officer-in-training. "Thank you, General." She said, not knowing what else there was to talk about. Standing up, she walked out of the door, only to be greeted by Jack.

"Hey, scooter, looks like you've gotten your news." Jack's joking tone told Cassidy that he had already adopted her without consent. Obviously he looked fondly upon her.

"Yeah, I did." She said simply, showing Jack the box.

Jack smiled and began to walk with her. "Never say that the Special Forces did nothing for you. What do you say to a celebratory Jell-O?"

Cassidy raised an eyebrow. "Sir?"

Jack shrugged. "Well, I'm hungry for Jell-O and I happen to know that the cook always makes some fresh. Since we can't drink on duty, why not have some Jell-O? It'll do your heart good!"

"Ah, yes, I can see how sugar and gelatin could do my heart good." Cassidy retorted easily, causing Jack to laugh in reply.

"That's the spirit! Now come on! We must get there before Teal'c takes all the blue ones!"

Chapter Nine Coming Soon! Review, please!


	9. Sudden Movements

**Author's Note**

**I know! Horrible amount of time between updates! You should not that the Boltha are completely and utterly created by muah. I wanted to incorporate a new race into the tradition of the Stargate series… always encountering new trouble every week :D Y'never know, though, old enemies could arise in the future…**

**Anyhow, welcome to Chapter Nine! I hope you enjoy it!  
--Whit**

**_Chapter Nine: Sudden Movements_**

Cassidy walked into the room slowly. She was still unsure of this arrangement between Teal'c and her. It wasn't that she was not confident in her ability to mask her true talents; she just wasn't sure what Teal'c was capable of. Cassidy was very aware that when she felt truly threatened her natural instincts kicked in and she protected herself. Hopefully, Teal'c would treat her as a meek woman and go very easy on her.

Teal'c was waiting for her in the center of the room. He had in either hand long wooden sticks that were carvings of the staff weapons Jaffa held. With an eyebrow cocked, he waited for Cassidy to approach. "CaptainFaith." He said solemnly as he handed her the stick. Apparently, Teal'c wasn't a man of very many words. That suited Cassidy just fine.

The young super soldier rolled her neck out for a second and quickly analyzed Teal'c's height and weight ratio to her own. He had the advantage as far as size, but she was quicker than him. She also had a lower center of gravity which would be easy to use against him. Even if she wasn't able to use her enhanced abilities against him, she could still use sheer physics. "Ready?" Cassidy asked as she sat one end of the stick down next to her.

Stepping back into a stance, Teal'c nodded. Both stood for a moment waiting for the other to make their move. Cassidy watched as Teal'c observed her surprisingly laid back demeanor. She knew that most people assumed a fighting stance when preparing to spar, but she also knew that was of no use to her in the field. One may not have time to go through all the motions as you would in a practice arena, so why practice some elaborate set up when the true test was your reflexes?

Finally, Teal'c made his move, attempting to jab at her stomach with the stick. Cassidy counteracted his maneuver by sliding to the side and use her stick to push his away. Teal'c quickly brought his stick back up toward her face but was stopped by her stick again. As soon as his stick was flying the opposite way, Cassidy brought hers up so she could grab it with both hands and quickly gave him a shot to the face with one end.

Teal'c seemed a bit surprised by the gutsy move, but reacted by sweeping Cassidy off of her feet. Staying on the ground, Cassidy quickly swung her stick up so that Teal'c's went flying. As he prepared for hand-to-hand, Cassidy brought her legs up and kicked, using the motion to throw herself back onto her feet. Simultaneously, she used her stick to undercut him and watched as he felt to the floor. After bringing the end of her 'staff' to his face, she gestured for him to take her hand so that she may help him up.

"Very impressive." Teal'c said humbly as he bowed slightly. Cassidy smiled only faintly. Internally, she was scolding herself for allowing her true abilities to shine through. For some reason she was feeling a sort of competitive spirit come alive when she was with the former Jaffa. She wanted to be able to show him her true capabilities.

"Thanks." Cassidy said hesitantly as she finally decided that she had wanted to impress him all along. Teal'c was SGC's premiere soldier. No one doubted that. For him to view her as impressive would be a great compliment from one strong soldier to another.

It baffled her why this mattered to her so. At Manticore, soldiers didn't receive praise. They were told what was wrong with them and expected to correct the errors. If one didn't correct her mistakes, she could end up dead the next day. Failure wasn't something that was acceptable. It was a strange sensation. All of these years of absolutely rejecting any sort of commendation from anyone in her life and now she was showing off in hopes that this person would think highly of her.

Taking advantage of her seemingly distracted state, Teal'c grabbed hold of her 'staff weapon' and used his supposedly superior strength to force it out of her grasp. Just as he was about to trip her and claim victory, Cassidy reacted suddenly and flipped over his head. While she was in the air, she maneuvered her body so that she delivered a double-footed kick square to the back. The effect of the fantastic display of athleticism sent Teal'c flying straight to the ground. Hard.

Cassidy was shocked at herself for a moment. One minute she had been thinking about how to impress Teal'c and the next she had inadvertently used her abilities to counteract his harmless attack. Her distraction had caused her to react automatically. Rushing over to the still body, Cassidy quickly shoved him onto his back and examined the damage. He had a nasty gash to the head where she assumed he had fallen. "Teal'c?" Cassidy questioned tentatively as she poked his chest.

Her entire body was in a state of chaos. Her heart was beating wildly as she realized the full implications of what she had done. Not only had she flipped over the head of someone who was very much taller than she was, but she had done it without so much of a step. That and she had used her outrageous strength to send the huge man to the floor. When Teal'c woke up, she had no doubt he would be full of questions. Questions just weren't good for any super soldier.

It wasn't too long before Teal'c began to stir, easing Cassidy's worries that she had slipped him into a coma. Not knowing what else to do, Cassidy took off out of the room. She couldn't be around Teal'c when he woke up. It was already going to be impossible to explain her actions and she needed time to think of some sort of excuse. Regardless, Cassidy needed to begin worrying about the possibility that the SGC was about to find out who she was. And if they did, the fun was over.

Cassidy ran as fast as she would allow herself to the elevator and didn't stop rushing until she was locked in her quarters. She was half-certain that her office was rigged by some sort of spying devices after overhearing O'Neill's suspicions earlier. At least she knew she would be safe in her quarters for the time being. What she needed to worry about now was figuring an escape plan out of the facility. Being under twenty-six levels of cement and granite did nothing for her in the ways of escaping. She couldn't exactly take the front door either due to her orders to stay on base. There was always the air shafts that sucked air in from the ground down to the various levels, but getting to those exits would be tricky and she'd be caught on camera. All the same, it would be her only option at the sign of any trouble.

Teal'c stirred from his place on the ground as he struggled to figure out what had just happened. One moment he was about to teach the young soldier what it meant to be alert at all times and the next he was on the floor. Something wasn't right about this situation. As he analyzed what had happened, Teal'c realized his suspicions had been confirmed. Cassidy Faith was a lot more than she said she was. In fact, he predicted that there was a lot she wasn't telling anyone at the SGC. She had more power than he did and was faster than anyone he had ever seen in all of his battles.

"Teal'c?" Someone said behind the now-sitting SG-1 member.

Not bothering to turn his head, Teal'c merely stood up. "I am fine, O'Neill."

Jack walked over to his friend with a look that was mixed of amusement and concern. "Fine isn't your being on the ground. What the hell happened to you?"

Teal'c looked at his friend of many years and considered his options. On one hand, he knew he had an obligation to tell Jack of his discovery about Cassidy; on the other, he felt a need to be discrete about it for the time being. Whatever Cassidy was hiding she wasn't about to disclose if she were found out to the entire base. He was certain of that much. "I do not wish to discuss it at the moment." Without giving further explanation, Teal'c walked straight out of the training room, leaving a bewildered Jack in his wake.

Having too much respect for the former Jaffa, Jack allowed it to slip as he caught up to his teammate. "All right, as long as you promise me you didn't trip yourself with that stick, I'll leave it alone for now." A questioning stare from Teal'c told Jack all he needed to know. "Right. We've got a briefing in five minutes."

Cassidy sat on the edge of her bed and tried to figure out what the hell she was supposed to do. The only thing she was certain of right now was that she had to be the biggest idiot on the planet. It was a wonder she hadn't been caught by Manticore yet. She was entirely too careless with herself. That was very clear.

Just as she began to wage an intense internal battle, there were some brief raps on her door. "Oh God." Cassidy mumbled as she got up to answer it.

As she opened the door, she figured that her entire life was about to end. "Anderson!" She exclaimed in astonishment.

Anderson smiled easily. "If I knew you'd be this excited to see me, I would have come a long time ago, Faith." After allowing her enough time to roll her eyes, he continued. "I'm here to collect you. We're do for a briefing in five. Apparently, there's a big ol' mission that they want to try out their new team on."

Cassidy stared at him for a moment but then realized she had no reason to distrust him. The question was: why weren't the MPs coming to drag her away? It was entirely possible that Teal'c simply hadn't gotten to them yet, but if that were the case, she was still in danger. Not having much of a choice now, Cassidy followed Anderson to the briefing room. The entire way she was on guard for anyone that would try to nab her.

"Looks like the tagalongs have finally made it." Larayne said as the two walked in.

Cassidy ignored his comment as she stared at Teal'c. He seemed indifferent to the entire situation, though his questioning stare did tell her that he wanted answers. Sitting on the opposite side of the table, she realized with agony that she had selected a seat next to Dr. Jackson. It was either face the person who possibly knew about her secret or suffer under the one who wanted to befriend her. Why couldn't she win today?

"We've got a situation, people." General Hammond said as he came in without so much as a greeting. Immediately, Cassidy picked up on the sense of urgency in his voice. This wasn't some sort of drill that was going to test the new team's abilities. Whatever he was about to discuss was serious and he needed SG-1's help on it. Why he was sending SG-10 was a mystery that would remain unsolved for now. "It appears that we have a situation on P3X-784."

Listening intently as the General described the Boltha and their tendency to become violent surprisingly fast, Cassidy realized she could relate this race with her superiors at Manticore. If something didn't happen that they liked, they had no problem sacrificing someone to ensure that the others followed instructions.

"They have SG-6 and -13?" Carter said incredulously as General Hammond's explanation died down.

Jack was obviously disgusted at the implication. "I did warn people. Was it not I who said that the Archaeology teams needed less degrees and more firepower? But no! We had to think that diplomacy was the way to go! Diplomacy be damned!"

It was Colonel Larayne who finally broke through the shock of the situation. "Is this a retrieval mission, General?"

General Hammond nodded. "Yes, I want my teams out of there. Unfortunately, it's not going to be easy. The Bolthas are quite advanced and have the teams held captive deep in the main government building. According to the Tok'ra operative that is there, only someone with high-level access could possibly even get to the level that the teams are in."

"So we bring bombs." Jack said simply.

It was Daniel's turn to explain. "Jack, the Bolthas possess the technology that rids any weapons upon entry to the building. Even if you did bring bombs, you'd find yourself unarmed the moment you stepped through the door."

"Distraction?" Anderson suggested.

Sander nodded in agreement. "We can't bring weapons into the facility, but we could perhaps stage some sort of diversion and put a small contingent in?"

"The Boltha have several abandoned buildings that they consider to be not advanced enough to be of any use. Why not cause one to collapse? That would bring attention from the main building, I would hope."

"Problem." Cassidy finally spoke up. "It says here that the Boltha are extremely aggressive and already suspicious. Even if we did manage to create a big enough diversion to lure away their attention from the main building, we'd have to be very fast. They aren't simply going to abandon their prisoners because one building went down. I'm thinking that the prisoners would be dead by the time we got to them."

"Why?" Jack encouraged.

Cassidy pointed to the screen that described the Boltha's past history with Earth. "They regard us as the enemy. It was a miracle they allowed our teams back on the planet. If one of my buildings suddenly imploded on itself, I would immediately suspect the enemy closest to my home. In this case, that's us. They have already shown us in the past they have a blatant disregard for life and often make irrational decisions. It seems to me that our people will easily be murdered without a second thought to diplomacy."

General Hammond nodded in agreement. "That's why I'm sending SG-10 with SG-1. We need infiltration of our own as the Tok'ra are not willing to give up their operative."

"Typical." Jack remarked quietly.

"I want Captain Faith to go in and SG-1 provide direct back-up for her. SG-10 will take care of the explosives on the building like Carter suggested."

Cassidy sensed she wasn't the only one bewildered at the situation. "With all due respect, General, shouldn't we keep the teams together? SG-10 needs to operate together in order to grow as a team." Colonel Larayne was trying his best to keep Cassidy close to the team and for once she appreciated it.

"I understand that, Colonel, but Captain Faith is the only one of you with any experience in psychology. I need SG-10 dealing with logistics because of Lieutenant Sander and your experience with large-scale detonation." Jack cleared his throat in protest. "Clean detonation, Colonel. The kind that we don't have to send a clean-up crew to fix. You have an hour to prep and then we're sending you through."

The group stood up and allowed the General to leave before hashing out their plans. "Looks like we need to go build us some bombs. Are you up for some assistance, Major?" Colonel Larayne offered to Carter.

Major Carter nodded her head and followed Sander and Larayne. On their way out, Cassidy heard mumblings of a string of C-4. "I'm assuming you'll need to prepare, Cassidy. Teal'c, Anderson, let's go gear up. We need to figure out which weapons I can get past that damn sensor system."

The two stood, but Teal'c made sure to linger long enough to warn Cassidy that he had questions he expected to have answered. All that left was Daniel, who seemed to be Cassidy's partner. "Looks like I'm going to have to give you a crash course in Bolthan."

Cassidy raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. She wasn't all that worried about the linguistics. "Start talking and I'll see what I can do."

He began to speak slowly in the language. With prodding, he began to speak it easily. Cassidy listened to the vowels and the consonants of the language. She needed to get all the sounds right before she could work on memorization.

After forty minutes, Cassidy was pretty sure that she knew enough words to at least get her in past the front door. That would have to be enough. "Let's go." Cassidy said in Bolthan as she stood up. Daniel was floored by her perfect accent and enunciation. The young soldier was out the door before he could comment on how impressed he was, however. She knew that what she had done wasn't worthy of any praise: it was mere genetics that allowed her to do it so easily.

Evading Daniel was easy enough after her exit, she simply went straight to the locker rooms and began suiting up for the mission. For now, she was dressing the part of a SG member. The Boltha attire would have to be acquired later when it became available to her. Cassidy wasn't phased at all by the prospects of this mission. Manticore had more than adequately prepared her for any infiltration mission. In fact, the time she had been given to prepare was an advantage. "Are you ready, Captain?" Major Carter said, interrupting her thoughts. Lieutenant Sander stood off to Carter's right staring at her superior as well.

Cassidy nodded at the two woman and followed them out of the locker room. SG-10's newest member glanced over her shoulder to see if Cassidy was behind them. Ignoring any attempt to be friendly, Cassidy instead busied herself with pretending to check her gun. The three met up with the men en route to the gate room where final plans were to be secured before the dial-up sequence was initiated.

"Remember, Cassidy, these people don't regard woman very highly." Daniel warned about the Boltha's male-dominated ways.

Dismissing him with a glance, Cassidy focused her attention on the Stargate and on the mission directly before her. "I'm aware." She finally said.

"Alright, kids, get ready. Once planet-side, maintain comm silence. We'll work on getting our teams, you work on getting the building down." O'Neill immediately took charge of the situation as Larayne nodded his head in agreement.

The gate began to dial up before anymore thought could go into the entire situation. Though both teams were heavily armed, SG-1 and Cassidy knew that they were going to have to rely on more primitive techniques to get by. Jack had insisted they all pack a variety of knives and daggers, though no one had any idea of knowing whether the scanning device would recognize these weapons. As everyone prepared themselves mentally for the challenge ahead, Cassidy focused all her energy on the Stargate. Once the wormhole was established, she allowed herself to slip into full-on soldier mode. When it came to fellow soldier's lives being put in danger, her need to conceal her identity became secondary. It was probably some sort of devotion that Manticore built into her, but Cassidy liked to think that it was her humanity taking a role in her actions. Either way, she was prepared to do whatever it took to get these people free.

Anderson looked at Cassidy just before they stepped through the gate and mumbled something about wishing her good luck. Cassidy smiled briefly at him then went through without another word. Once on the other side, SG-10 quickly separated from -1. "The building our people are being held in is about a kilometer away." Jack warned the group before setting off walking.

The four worked together very well; each one had the ability to guess the other's moves. If Cassidy weren't concentrating on covering her own ass, she might have taken the time to admire their fluidity. This came from many years of working together, Cassidy knew. Her team back at Manticore anticipated each other's moves so well their superiors almost considered allowing them to graduate into the field together. That, however, was not very plausible when it came to developing each of their unique skills.

Cassidy's specialty had been assassination. When she had turned six, as all the rest of the kids, she was forced to begin training separately. Emphasis was put into quick memorization and enhanced learning. She had to be able to assume any role and place herself into any situation. Cassidy was taught in close assassination. The kind where the assassin came within inches of their prey before she murdered them. There were, of course, other assassins, some close range like herself, some long range, but Cassidy always felt alone. Manticore made sure she was self-reliant in whatever she did. The only team contact she had was on general group exercises and in the barracks. But her history was not known by the SGC. She had chosen psychological warfare as a companion to her already bountiful training in infiltration. It was almost ironic how all these years later she was putting her skills from Manticore to good use.

The group walked along in silence, Cassidy covering the rear, Jack in the lead. The remaining three covered the gaps in between to form a circle, a standard formation when not knowing which way the enemy could emerge. "Down!" Jack shouted as Cassidy realized slightly too late that someone was coming up on her six. Before she could react, Jack shot all around her, presumably killing whoever it was that had made the mistake of sneaking.

"That was close." Daniel breathed as the group circled around to recover the body. Cassidy was the first to reach it. She couldn't believe that with all of her enhanced abilities she had been unable to sense his approach. How had he done it? It wasn't like he was attempting to sneak up on an average human here. She was an X-5!

Without asking, Cassidy bent down and began padding down the now dead Boltha. "Weapon." She said as she tossed the metallic circular object to Teal'c, who examined it with Carter. Cassidy continued searching for something that would explain why he had been nearly successful in his attack. Unclenching his hand, she was immediately drawn to a silver ring that resided on the deceased's middle finger. After some struggling, she got the ring off his hand and put it on her own. "What's this do, I wonder?" She thought out loud.

As Cassidy stared at her cohorts she realized they had not reacted to her question. A couple more shouts with no results made Cassidy begin to suspect that something about the ring held the answer she was seeking. Deciding that the only way she could really prove it was to test it, Cassidy raised her automatic and shot at a nearby tree. The team didn't react until the poor trunk shot bits of wood everywhere. Shocked, they stared at Cassidy who pulled off the ring finally and waved it around. "It would appear our friend had an advantage."

Carter quickly grabbed onto the ring and examined it. "It must erect some sort of force field around the holder eliminating sound within it."

Cassidy shrugged. She wasn't so concerned now about the offensive weapon since she knew her body wasn't on a rapid decline. This meant her senses were all active and well.

"We need to be going." Jack said. Cassidy looked at Teal'c stoic face before taking lead. They were nearing the point where she would have to begin figuring out how she was going to have to get them inside.

As they cut through the brush and came to the end of the tree line and within view of the enormous city before them, Cassidy slipped into her mode again. There was a job to do and she was just the person to get it done.

**Chapter Ten is coming soon! Please Review!**


	10. Thicker Than Water

Author's Note:

I told myself I'd update more often and I failed to do so. I would like to thank those of you that have been giving me amazing reviews. They really push me to continue writing.

Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Whitney

* * *

**Chapter Ten: Thicker Than Water**

"We are going to have to move fast." Jack observed as they calculated the distance between where they were and where they needed to be. By their best estimates, it was a good 100 meters from the trees to the building the hostages were in.

Unfortunately, the Bolthans had designed their commercial district so that it circled the entire city of Gula. This meant that while their civilians were tucked nicely away in the center, the outside was booming with not only capitalists but also military. Boltha was controlled by a form of martial law. Their military controlled everything and the citizens never questioned their authority.

Cassidy used her enhanced vision to spot two Bolthan soldiers by a building 50 meters ahead. She knew they would have access to the main building, but getting them to give her the access would be the touch part. As she unlatched her M-16, Teal'c looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "CaptainFaith, do you think it wise to unarm yourself?"

Everyone's attention immediately flew to the young woman, who stared at them blankly. She could explain that she was trained to be a weapon herself and guns were only added luggage, but somehow she didn't think they'd accept that with open arms. "There are two soldiers fifty meters ahead. If I can get to them, I'll be able to determine how to get into that building."

Even Jack looked a bit dubious at her suggestion. None of them believed that she was able to do what she promised. This only infuriated her inner soldier. People just didn't question an X-5. "I'll go with you." Jack said. He was obviously curious as to how she planned on accomplishing the attack.

"No. I can't have any contingencies. Plus, I need all four of you to cover me. Those two will be more than enough to keep my hands full." Cassidy threw her final weapon to the ground and gave them each a hard stare. "Don't move until I signal." With that, she was off.

Daniel watched in astonishment as Cassidy moved off without adhering to Jack's order. Even so, the young woman moved with determination and absolute grace. It was almost like this was her second nature. "Interesting." He commented out loud as he kept his eye out for any uninvited guests.

"Sir, how did she see them? I can barely make them out while concentrating on their location." Carter was content on figuring out what made Cassidy click for now. Jack shrugged. He figured it was his old age and his eyes failing him. Perhaps his perfect vision wasn't actually that perfect.

Cassidy used the nearby buildings to provide cover as she approached the soldiers. From what she could tell, they were bartering who would receive the company of the newest Yallin, which was Boltha for matured female. Deciding that she had to act rather than observe, Cassidy quickly pulled off her jacket and ripped off her t-shirt to reveal only a black beater. Since Bolthan woman were not known for their modesty, she quickly ripped away at the shirt to reveal much more skin than the military was accustomed to. Her belt came off to lower her pants quite a bit and with removal of her shoes, she appeared at least presentable. Pulling her hair down from its high pony tail, she approached the two with a sway usually reserved for prostitutes. "Hey, boys." She said smoothly in Bolthan.

The Bolthans hadn't evolved too much from their genetic heritage, though they did have some enhanced abilities. Their intense sense of smell and touch coupled with their strikingly dark eyes set them apart from any human. But, Cassidy wasn't any human. The tallest of the two turned to view his new adversary with the smaller following only moments later. Their bartering was momentarily forgotten as they took in the woman standing opposite of them. "I wish to bed this one." The shorter said in rough Bolthan, showing off his desires in a very open way.

Cassidy coyly played with her hair as she approached the two. Five more feet and she could make her move. "You may have the other one." The taller male said as he asserted his dominance by moving closer to Cassidy. Before she could react, the sense that someone was approaching behind her told her that the time for action was soon.

Just as she was about to take the three out, a shout resounded across the space between her and the team. "Your six, Faith!" Someone shouted loudly just before a gun shot rang out. Rolling her eyes, Cassidy jumped behind the cover of a building and quickly kicked backward to catch her attacker off guard. The third male stumbled backward in shock but soon regained his composure. The three circled her, out of sight of the team Cassidy was sure was speeding toward her. Acting quickly, she grabbed onto the Bolthan to her left and swung him around to knock over the other two. While they were on the ground, she grabbed hold of the Bolthan weapon her hostage had and shot the two with one burst to each of their heads.

"Captain!" Jack shouted as he ran into the clearing, but stopped short as he noticed the two soldiers dead on the ground.

Cassidy ignored the now present SGCers and redirected her attention to the Bolthan she held captive. "Tell me how to get access to the main building or you will suffer the same fate as your friends."

The Bolthan glared at her menacingly and said nothing. "We have to get moving, Captain. That gunshot most likely drew some unneeded attention." Major Carter offered as she noted that the Bolthan didn't appear to be very interested in talking.

Redirecting her attention at the group as if to say, 'morons,' Cassidy approached Daniel and grabbed the pistol out of his left hip holster. Turning around, she threw the Bolthan to the ground and began shouting again. "You have exactly ten seconds to begin talking or I start shooting."

The Bolthan looked up at her. "How dare you defy me! Bow before me!"

Cassidy rolled her eyes at his attempt to gain control. "I'm not Bolthan, Bitch." She said in English as she shot him in the knee. The Bolthan reacted in pain, but was not able to scream as Cassidy was quick to cover his mouth. "Tell me how to get into the building or you'll die." Daniel was interpreting to the rest of SG-1 as Cassidy rattled off in Bolthan.

He didn't answer her until she pushed on his wound. "A code! You have to input a code! 47180."

"Alright, let's get moving." Jack said this time, firm in his order.

Cassidy exchanged a look with SG-1, then turned back to her hostage. Something seemed too easy about getting into a building with only a code. "What are you not telling me?"

There was no answer until she raised the gun again, this time to his head. "Voice recognition. You have to say the code and be an authorized member." The Bolthan looked up pitifully at Cassidy, who stared back unfeeling.

"Alright, we'll wrap up your leg and you'll take us. If you so much as blink wrong I will kill you without remorse." Daniel needed no further prompting as he went to bandage the Bolthan's leg.

Cassidy retraced her steps and quickly threw her clothes back on. Teal'c, with a nod, gave her the weapons she had discarded. As she was about to go back to the Bolthan, Jack confronted her. "What the hell was that, Captain?" Jack said tersely as he gestured toward the two dead and one injured Bolthan.

"Doing my job, Colonel." Cassidy said simply, but knew the excuse wasn't going to be an acceptable one. SG-1 didn't make it a habit of randomly killing people merely because they were in their way. Too bad that she did.

"Next time, you wait for the team to assemble. You don't break protocol and defy my orders merely because you have some hotshot idea. You could have been killed, Faith."

Cassidy struggled not to roll her eyes. It was programmed into her to respect authority and yet she was having a hard time not reaching up and slugging Jack right here. "I'm sorry." She mumbled.

Jack shook his head disappointedly and went back to attend to the wounded soldier. "Let's move before his backup arrives."

Teal'c fell back to accompany Cassidy as the remaining members of SG-1 walked in front of them. His curious stare at her made her further retreat into herself. She hadn't done anything wrong, right? It was her job to make the mission successful. Somehow, she didn't think the Air Force was going to understand that. The thought of how they must look walking the last fifty meters with their wounded hostage in tow was worrying to Cassidy. She hoped that the Capitalists would merely ignore them and continue on their way. They were good at avoiding the military at all costs.

Jack lead them to the side of the building. "We have two minutes before the building is set to go down. Once the explosion occurs, we'll provide cover from any possible visitors. Faith, you will have ten minutes to get our men out of there."

The rest of them nodded in agreement as Cassidy once again handed off her weapons. "Dumb woman." The Bolthan spouted as she grabbed hold of him.

Reaching up, she popped him on the back of the head and threw him forward. "Watch your mouth." She said in English, sparing Daniel the work of interpreting for Jack.

SG-1 spread expertly about the building as Cassidy and the Bolthan ascended the steps. Once at the top, the soldier did as he was supposed to and gave the code to unlock the building. Having the door open, Cassidy through him down the stairs and quickly entered the building. No more than five steps in, an alert system sounded loudly. Cassidy noted that the windows behind her were immediately shaded over so no one could see in, giving her a perfect opportunity to use all of her skills. The building was set up so that there were monitors everywhere: on the walls, on the floors, and on the ceiling. It appeared that Supreme Chancellor liked his words to be acknowledged when he addressed his people. Cassidy ignored the face telling her that an explosion had happened on the outskirts of town as she blurred toward the stairs that led to the team's dungeon.

She took the stairs expertly and was down the five flights within seconds. The elevator-type contraptions would have taken much too much time and provided a problem if they were shut down. As she hit the floor fast, Cassidy noted that internally the building was relatively easy to infiltrate. 'I guess they didn't anticipate someone actually coming in.' She thought to herself as she approached the side that held her fellow soldiers. Upon entry to the room, she was greeted by gasps of surprise and relief.

"Really glad to see you." One of the soldiers said from inside his barred cage. It was a 16 by 16 square that the eight of them were held captive in. All appeared to be relatively okay barring the cuts and bruises that decorated their bodies. Cassidy approached the cage, but was thrown back by a force field that had been erected on the outside of the bars.

"And here I thought this would be easy." She said to the soldiers as she contemplated how she would get them out. The field was a contingency that she hadn't planned on. "Be quiet." She instructed as she pushed herself against the wall that was directly next to the door.

She was waiting for the inevitable: a Bolthan soldier to come and execute the enemy soldiers that were being held. It wasn't a question of if, but when. As she expected, the door swung open to reveal two soldiers carrying Bolthan weapons. Cassidy was a bit dismayed by the sight, but realized she hadn't really expected the Bolthans not to allow their soldiers into their building unarmed. How could they uphold the Martial law without weapons? The two were shouting random things at the hostages, who were completely oblivious to what they were saying. All they knew was that the two soldiers were mad.

Cassidy waited behind the door that served as her shield while the Bolthans brought down the force field that encased the cage. "You must now pay for your people's foolish mistakes!" One shouted as he brought his weapon up to aim. Cassidy acted quickly by slamming the door shut behind them, catching the two off guard.

Moving as quickly as she could allow without rising suspicion out of the SGCers, Cassidy grabbed hold of the closest soldier's arms and brought the weapon up to hit him in the face. A sickening crack told her she had been effective as she wrestled the weapon out of his hands and turned toward the other soldier. Unfortunately, she hadn't been fast enough, something she realized as the soldier squeezed his trigger and sent a shot directly to her abdomen.

The force of the shot knocked her back a few steps, but quickly Cassidy shot the man several times in the head before he could do any more harm. Ignoring the intense pain that was shooting through her body, Cassidy walked over to the cage and inspected the lock. It was metallic and easily to manipulate. "Turn around. I don't want a stray shot hitting one of you." She instructed as the soldier's hid their heads from the blast.

As she pointed the gun at the floor, Cassidy gave off a few shots while breaking the lock by yanking it hard with her hand. Throwing open the door, she shouted for everyone to run, which they complied with easily. Cassidy hung back as she assessed her injury, which was beginning to bleed profusely. "Son of a--" She said as she put pressure on it and began to run, weapon in hand.

The group encountered little resistance as they scrambled for their freedom. As they reached the top of the stairs, Cassidy approached the front slowly, hoping that she was able to mask the pained expression on her face. "Captain, will you be all right?" One of the soldiers inquired as the rest stared at her.

Cassidy nodded. "I'll be fine. It just grazed me." She lied as she brought up her weapon. "Once we gain entrance to the main floor get outside as fast as you can. SG-1 will be providing cover. From there, we straight shot it to the Stargate. Understand?"

The group nodded. Before anyone could protest, she surged forward and shot the two guards on each side of the stair entrance. Sweeping her gaze about, she noticed one on the balcony and quickly took him out. Shouts from somewhere deeper inside the building let her know that their presence had been detected. The group ran as fast as they could through the building and out the doors as Cassidy lagged behind to provide cover fire. Her wound was bleeding profusely as she stepped closer and closer to freedom. She realized quickly that if she kept bleeding at this rate, she'd lose consciousness. Not really liking that idea, Cassidy burst through the door and down the stairs. SG-1 was still battling it out with various Bolthan soldiers that had come to protect the main building. Shooting herself a path, Cassidy raced down the path that she knew would lead her to the Stargate. The others caught up easily as they all ran to safety.

"CaptainFaith, you're injured." Teal'c noted as he shot at one of the advancing Bolthans. Cassidy didn't waste any of her energy replying. Super soldier or not, she was becoming weaker by the moment and was not fairing well. Jack looked at the wound with obvious worry as the group neared closer to the gate. Cassidy could only concentrate on the task at hand and that was getting through the wormhole.

As they approached the end, SG-10 began to return fire as Daniel dialed out. Upon activation, the four groups fled toward the gate, with Cassidy again lagging behind. This time, however, it wasn't by choice. Her shirt was soaking with blood and her pants were starting to look red as well. Jack grabbed hold of the back of her shirt and quickly launched her into the wormhole before diving in himself. Daniel, Teal'c, and Carter all followed suit.

Once to the other side, Carter quickly gave the order to shut the iris, then joined in with the rest of the soldiers as they stared at Cassidy. The young woman noted their expressions and despite the intense pain that was flowing through her body, struggled to stand up. "I'm all right." She said attempting to calm their worries, but it appeared she was unsuccessful at the attempt.

"We need a med team down here stat!" Larayne shouted as Cassidy stumbled and fell into Daniel's and Anderson's arms. Jack removed his coat and put pressure on Cassidy's wound as Carter crouched down.

"You'll be okay, Cassidy." The Major offered as the med team gained entrance to the gate room. Doctor Fraiser commanded the soldiers attention, forcing -6 and -13 to retreat out of the room to allow more space for the medical staff. Anderson, Daniel, Jack, and Sam helped lift Cassidy onto the stretcher that had been brought to carry her to the infirmary.

SG-10 and -1 watched helplessly as the young woman was rushed out of the room. "What the hell happened?" Larayne asked angrily to no one in particular.

"That's what we're going to find out." Jack said as the General hurried in.

"Colonel?" He questioned. Jack shook his head as if to indicate he didn't know. "Briefing in ten minutes. Assemble -6 and -13."

The General was out of the room before he could reply. Jack looked at his team and nodded for them to follow. It wasn't a good day when an SGC soldier was injured, not a good day at all.

* * *

Doctor Fraiser quickly had Cassidy set up onto a bed, where she cut the clothes off around the wound. "Cassidy, can you hear me?" She said as one of the nurses hooked Cassidy up to an IV to help with the pain. 

Cassidy blinked but was too weak to reply. All she wanted to do was sleep, but she fought that urge with all her might. If she went to sleep, there was a good chance she'd never wake up. As Cassidy lay there listening to Fraiser bark off orders for various meds to be injected, the super soldier realized that this could be her final moments. It was odd, she had always assumed that Manticore would be what killed her, not some random alien race. "We need blood!" Fraiser said loudly as Cassidy pulse began to plummet.

Cassidy didn't know what would happen if she were given normal human blood, but now wasn't the time to argue. The nurse rushed out dismayed as she approached the table. "The blood has been contaminated."

"What!" Fraiser said as she stared at the nurse.

"It appears that the refrigerating unit malfunctioned. The blood is bad."

Fraiser look at her patient and thought quickly of what to do. "We'll have to do an emergency infusion."

Someone rushed in just as Fraiser began to hurriedly set things up. "I'll donate." He said in a familiar voice as Fraiser grabbed his card and scanned it through the machine. Walters, Obadiah had O-Negative blood, making it easy for him to give to Cassidy.

"Sit." Fraiser said as she began the process to put the IV needle into his arm.

Cassidy used the last bit of strength she had to glance over at the man that was about to save her life. As the blood began to rush into her body, the fog cleared long enough to give her a clearer picture. "Zac!" She said before being pulled into darkness.

Doctor Fraiser continued on, ignoring the girl's obviously mistaken identity of the donator. "Let's begin repairing this wound."

* * *

**Chapter Eleven to follow soon! Please Review!**


	11. Keep Your Enemies Closer

**Author's Note**

Welcome to another fantastic Chapter of **Perfect Soldier**! For you Dark Angel fans, I've introduced two new Dark Angel characters that you'll recognize for their prominence on the series. Don't worry, SGers, the old gang is still about. And for fans of both, I hope you like the happy medium I balanced out!

Enjoy!

_Whitney_

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Keep Your Enemies Closer**

"Good to see you again, Donald." General Hammond said to his visitor occupying the chair opposite of him.

The man smiled slightly as he intersected his hands in his lap. His laid-back demeanor and crossed legs gave away that the two were old friends; the Civilian clothes gave away that he wasn't on-duty. "You as well, George. Fairchild hasn't seen the likes of you since…well, before you were appointed Command here I suppose."

"Yes, well, they do keep me busy here. What's it been, four--five years?" The General asked of his-longtime acquaintance.

"Six, actually, but who's counting?"

General Hammond smiled. "So what brings you out to Colorado Springs? Surely you didn't travel all this way to see me?"

A short shake of the head confirmed the General's suspicion. His friend was here on other business. "I'm afraid I'm tracking down some AWOL soldiers, George. Very talented ones at that. They've been evading me for quite some time."

"Really." It was more of a comment than a question. The General's friend was constantly tracking down soldiers who had changed their minds about service. Part of the glorious duties of being in the Special Investigations Unit.

"Yes. These people are straight from the top, too. Delta from the Army."

One of the General's eyebrows raised. "Are these the ones that disappeared 12-years ago?"

A nod. "You remembered." There was a pause. "No, I'm afraid these are a new bunch. Young, too. All roughly 21. Highly trained, though, and very dangerous. The Army's had no luck on it so we get stuck with it again. You know what they say, 'What the Army can't do, the Air Force does better.'"

"Young Deltas at the top of their game suddenly disappearing? Any leads?"

"We've caught a few but they aren't letting on to where the others are. As far as we can tell, they've dispersed themselves about and have little to no contact with one another." He paused. "All those rumors about Delta are correct, by the way. I have had my share of run-ins with them. They eat, sleep, drink, and breathe as a team and are by far the toughest crew I've seen in awhile. I think they'd give our Black Ops a run for their money."

Colonel O'Neill appeared in the doorway as if on cue. "Delta has nothing on our Black Ops. They'd be annihilated." The confident second-in-command of the SGC strolled into the General's office uninvited and took a seat next to the visitor. It was easy to sense when things were being run on a more casual level.

"Let me guess, ex-Black Ops?"

Jack nodded, but it was Hammond who replied. "Colonel O'Neill is the CO of SG-1, our top unit here. Jack, this is Colonel Donald Lydecker, an old acquaintance of mine."

The shook hands. Jack spared a moment to inspect the man he had just met. He was easygoing enough but there was just something about him that didn't sit right. "Colonel?"

Lydecker smiled slightly. "I like that rank. Plus, if I move up to General, they'll make me sit at a desk. The field's where all the action is at."

"Donald is part of the SIU up at Fairchild. He's hunting down some rogue Deltas that have gone AWOL."

It was Jack's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Fairchild. They're a Refueling Wing. You see a lot of action there?"

"You'd be surprised, Colonel."

"Plus, the Canadians. Always need to be worried about those Canadians." Jack commented lightly. The two men joined him with a chuckle. "So, military cooperation at its finest. Do we need to worry about these Deltas making any ripples in our waters, Colonel?"

Lydecker smiled. "That's actually why I'm here. George," he turned his attention back on the General, "I was wondering if you wouldn't mind my being here for a few days? I've been able to track one of the Deltas to your area." He pushed a file over to Hammond. "He goes by Zack. Was the Commander of the group of Deltas that went AWOL. Blonde hair, blue eyes. About 6'4". He's someone to be watched out for. Specialized in Psychological Warfare and has excellent Combat tactics."

"Psychological Warfare. Seems to be all the rage with kids these days."

"Sorry, Colonel?" Lydecker questioned.

General Hammond answered his question while Jack took a look at the file. It was thin and with very little information. No rank, last name, birth date… this Zack character could be anyone. The picture was eerily familiar to SG-1's leader; however, he couldn't place where he'd seen the face at. "Our newest officer to SG-10. She came in with a degree in Psychological Warfare. Speaking of which, Colonel, how is Captain Faith?"

After skeptically scanning the poor excuse for a personnel file for another long moment, Jack handed it back to Lydecker. "She's in surgery right now. I couldn't get much from the medical staff except for the fact that I was in their way." He paused. "There was a problem with the on-site blood bank, though. Seems the wire short circuited or something. In any case, we had one of our own volunteer to do a direct transfusion. It's touch and go right now."

"Keep me posted, Colonel."

Jack stood up and nodded at Lydecker. Something about the man screamed 'evil' to him in loud big neon words, but he couldn't figure out what it was. That would at least get his mind off of poor Faith. "Of course, General. Colonel." Jack said as he walked out of the office.

O'Neill headed straight for the elevator and was not surprised to find his team, the two rescued teams, and SG-10 waiting nervously in the corridor. "No word yet, Colonel." Major Carter offered her superior as he joined the group.

"We all probably should be drawing up our mission reports." Colonel Larayne said half-heartedly, though no one moved an inch. It was respectful to know how an injured soldier was doing before going on about daily tasks.

Lieutenant Sander and Captain Anderson looked a bit squeamish at the events. It was obvious that neither of them were accustomed to the thought of losing their team member. SG-6 and -13 just looked relieved to be alive, Larayne and SG-1 were hardened to the possibilities of casualties. No sense in getting upset until there was a reason to be upset. Somewhere, deep inside the infirmary, the steady beat of a heart monitor could be heard.

The hollow sound of the beeping was all the noise that accompanied the group for an hour as they sat in silence. Each with their own thoughts, contemplating various aspects of their lives, hoping for the best. Doctor Fraiser finally walked out into the hall after what seemed like an eternity with a neutral face. Her features didn't reveal anything until she noted the large group camped out in the corridor. "Captain Faith will be fine. The wound is repaired and is looking good. She will need some more blood, though, so we'll need a few of you to donate, but other than that we're expecting full recovery."

A sense of relief was evident on everyone's faces, including Doctor Fraiser's. Major Carter and Teal'c excused themselves from the group, as they weren't allowed to donate blood. Their actions were shortly followed by SG-6 and -13 as they were barred from donating because of their recent captivity. "I just remembered I have this thing." O'Neill said as he recalled Fraiser's promise to torture him with a needle the next time he visited the infirmary. Quickly, the Colonel rushed out, leaving Daniel, Larayne, Sander, and Anderson to give their pint. Zack was waiting for them when they came in, sitting in a chair next to Cassidy's bed, watching her faithfully.

"Mr. Walters, I would suggest you get some rest. You gave a bit more blood than you should have and I'm afraid that you will be weaker than usual." Doctor Fraiser's suggestion was taken skeptically by the rest of the group. To them, this young man seemed better than ever. Certainly didn't appear as though he'd given a lot of blood. Of course, there wasn't any way they could have known he was an X-5.

Lynn and he exchanged a look for a moment, which he broke off by returning his concentration onto Cassidy. The group all quietly gave their blood and trickled off slowly. There were showers to take and mission reports to fill out. A soldier's life was never boring.

* * *

Zack waited nearly three hours for Cassidy to begin to stir. By then, it was only the bare minimum medical staff in the infirmary. It took her a moment to remember where she was and what was happening. As the fog over her head began to lift, though, her senses kicked back in and she immediately assessed any dangers. "Zack?" Cassidy whispered anxiously as she stared at the person she had not seen for a long time.

Her CO and older brother crossed his arms over his chest and stood up. A stern look on his face told her he was not happy. "Edy, I swear it. You were supposed to stay under the radar. Escape somewhere, be normal. But, what did you do? You joined the Air Force!"

Cassidy flinched slightly, though she told herself it was from the pain and not the lecture. "What else was I supposed to do, Zack! They killed my only fam--" She cut off when she realized that Zack and the gang were her true family. A few calculated moments of silence suffocated the air before she continued. :I was alone, so I did what they trained us to do. I adapted, borrowed a persona, and went for what I'm best at. And Zack, what I'm best at, is being a soldier. We all are!" Her harsh whisper was getting pretty loud, but she was at the point she didn't care.

"We escaped from Manticore to avoid this type of lifestyle, Edy. We don't need to take orders to function. Yes, you have abilities, but that doesn't mean you have to be stupid." Cassidy glared at him for that remark. "What? You don't think you're being stupid? What were you going to do when you ran out of Tryptophan next week? Ask the Doctor to get you more of the drug you need?"

"You went through my stuff!" Cassidy said outraged as she attempted to sit up, though it didn't work. A lot of pain emanated from the wound and no matter how annoyed she was with Zack, she wasn't about to put herself through that train wreck again. "Zack, it's different here."

Zack stared at his sister skeptically. She had always needed structure, even when they were little. In fact, he had been surprised that she had gone with them at all back then. It was, he was sure, something to do with the bond she had formed with Max, whom she shared a lot of physical characteristics with. Not that he'd ever tell her that. She didn't know he had contact with all of her other siblings. She hadn't seen them for twelve years and now she was a liability, like Max. "How? You still take orders! You still report to superiors! You still have to live in fear that someone is going to discover your secret."

"Zack, I can make a difference here. It's not like I'm going out and randomly killing people. And their boot camp? It was like day camp for us when we were two! They aren't torturing me here or forcing me to do anything. And as for my secret… it's been kept safe for now. I'm doing something here, can't you see that?" She was so desperate for his acceptance, for him to approve of what she was doing.

Before he replied, Zack glanced at the clock. "Listen, D, I can't stay. I came here to warn you they're getting better and you have to be more careful. They have ties to the government, they could discover you. And if they do, you're going to be viewed as a traitor." Cassidy closed her eyes and reached out for Zack's hand. He squeezed it and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. "You girls and being stubborn. I'll keep an eye out for you, D. Be careful."

Cassidy stared at the ceiling, wondering if she had made the right choice. If she had said the word, Zack would have helped her bust out of the Mountain and taken her someplace safe. But, then she would have been transferred somewhere that was boring and told to lie low. She couldn't have it that way. She wanted, no, she needed the action. The intensity of her job--of her nature--fueled her very being. It was addicting, the power it gave her.

Her eyes trailed around the ceiling and noticed with a smile that Zack had taken the extra effort to disconnect the camera. Smart boy. As she contemplated what he meant by 'they're getting better,' an alarm sounded. "Intruder Alert." Announced the system. Her heart stopped for a moment when she acknowledged that the worst was probably true. Somewhere down the line, Zack had been intercepted. Cassidy waited and noted that he was on the top floor. From drills, she knew that Intruder alerts meant the elevator was closed off, so an air shaft was the only way up.

Gritting her teeth, she swung her legs over and detached the IV that was plugged into her arm. Quickly, she set the heart monitor to a feedback loop so no one would know she wasn't attached for awhile. Cassidy nearly screamed in pain as she stood up and pulled the curtains around her bed. Right now, she would be low priority. As she made her way to the door, she knew that she was moving slowly. "C'mon, Edy, you've been through worse pain than this." She said out loud to herself as she waited for the cameras in the corridor to positions themselves appropriately. Counting down from ten, Cassidy worked to focus on the mission at hand, slipping fully into her inner soldier, relishing the power from within. Instantly, enhanced endorphins quieted the pain that was screaming from inside, giving the woman enough concentration to operate smoothly.

Dashing, Cassidy worked her way up the hallway one camera at a time. She was blurring in order to get to Zack as fast as she could, but she had to avoid the cameras. It would all be in vain if she were caught. Finally, she got to the shaft and closed the door before it was detected. Now, she used all the strength she could muster to climb the ladder. With her abilities, it took her only moments to ascend all the way up. Worrying that they had already gotten to him, Cassidy chanced it and kicked the door open on the top level. To her surprise, no one was around. Swiftly, she dove around to the wall and unplugged the camera. Glancing down, she noted with some amusement that she was still in a hospital gown. Luckily, it was tied in the back.

A crash past the security barriers sent the woman running toward the sound. There, she found Zack fighting off five security officers. Quickly, she used the shadows to begin eliminating his opponents one by one. Cassidy grabbed the one nearest to her and quickly cut off his air supply. He struggled for a moment, but was no match for her strength. The second one was a bit trickier, with her having to kick him into a wall before he went cold. She took out two, Zack took out two. Cassidy nearly gasped as she watched the last, the menace Rygler from her tour, go down with a thud. "Get out of here!" Cassidy whispered as she heard more soldiers coming as backup.

Zack didn't say anything, just exchanged a look with her and ran toward the open area that lead to the woods. Cassidy knew that the two guards on patrol were down on the ground in front of her, so if he were smart, he'd evade capture. Now, she had to be concerned with how she was going to get back. It wouldn't be easy with backup sure to arrive any moment. Blurring back to the air shaft, Cassidy opened the door just as elevator came alive. Curious as to who had overridden the safeties, she left the door open a crack to stare out. First came Colonel O'Neill who was armed with a semi-automatic pistol, then three marines similarly armed, Daniel with a Zat, and finally a figure who hung behind them, but was armed as well.

She stared form the shadows, trying to figure out who the follower was. He was familiar, but from where? The instant that it did click, however, Cassidy didn't waste any time descending the ladder and running back to her place in the infirmary. Once back in safety with the security camera plugged back in, her mind was racing at the implications of what she had just saw. The scourge of the universe, the Hitler of Manticore, and her enemy was here on base. That thought was enough to turn Cassidy's blood cold. Zack had been right when he warned her that they were getting better at finding them. Donald Lydecker was at the SGC and if she were discovered, everything that she had worked for would be over with.

The possibilities were frightening as the soldier was forced to lay in bed and contemplate just what her future held. If Lydecker were after her, he would have already taken her into custody, injury or not. But, why else would he be here? If he didn't know she was serving at the SGC, what other reason could he have? The horrible thought that he had been transferred here in some perverse act of fate was immediately dismissed as ludicrous. She knew Lydecker was a Colonel, but as far as she knew, he didn't deal with Aliens. Then again, she hadn't either. The final conclusion was that he was after Zack. Zack had lead Lydecker here inadvertently and had just tipped him off that he was on the right track. That meant she was going to have to put up with Lydecker until he sensed the trail was cold. But, how long would that be?

* * *

Eight hours later, after the base had endured sixteen security sweeps to ensure there was an all-clear, Doctor Fraiser reported on-base. After a check in her office, the Doctor realized that what she had been waiting for had finally been faxed over. With a brown folder in hand, she walked toward the General's office to report her findings. "General?" She said a bit anxiously. She really wanted to check in on Faith and make sure she was recovering nicely.

"Hello, Doctor. Please come in." The bald man greeted warmly to his Chief Medical Officer.

Fraiser complied and stepped into his office. "I only have a moment, sir, but I thought I'd relay to you personally the DNA results are back on Captain Faith."

"Oh?" The General asked. It wasn't unusual for the Doctor to report to him personally about new personnel. The SGC was a highly sensitive project and they couldn't be letting just anyone in on it.

The Doctor slid the results across to him and gestured for him to open the folder. "Captain Faith is okay, sir. Not one flaw."

"Well, that's good news." The General remarked warmly. "Thank you, Doctor."

She nodded, then exited the office. Quickly, she headed toward the infirmary, only to be thwarted by Colonels O'Neill and Larayne before she reached the elevator. "How is our patient doing?" Larayne asked jovially. The two men had obviously been sharing some private joke.

"Aside from confirmation that Captain Faith is not an alien just now, she'll be fine. I expect for her to be discharged within seventy two hours. Luckily for us, the wound wasn't too severe."

O'Neill slid his pass card into the elevator access feeder. "Mind if we check up on her?"

"It would appear I don't have much of a choice." Fraiser commented as the three walked into the cab.

"Of course you have a choice, Doctor, but I do hate to break orders." Larayne said lightly.

The three chatted about random things on their way to the infirmary. The two Colonels filled the Doctor in on the intruder alert that seemed to be lacking an intruder and Doctor Fraiser enlightened them on Cassandra's status. "What do you mean they were all found unconscious?"

"They said they were fighting a young man and he overpowered all of them. That kind of skill is hard to come by. Unfortunately, this man matched the description of a Delta that's went AWOL."

"Aliens, Deltas, mysterious intruders. What more must we worry about here in the SGC? As if Goa'ulds weren't enough!" Daniel said as he joined the conversation with Teal'c beside him. The two were coming from the opposite direction as Larayne, O'Neill, and Fraiser.

"Yes, well, we can't all have peace and love in our worlds, can we, Danny?" Jack commented lightly as they walked into infirmary.

The already visiting Anderson was surprised by the sudden explosion of people. Cassidy and he had appeared to be discussing something animatedly, which surprised the rest of the group more. It was rare to see a smile on Cassidy's face--too rare. Even Teal'c raised an eyebrow at the sudden change in demeanor. "Anderson was just telling me about the great caped crusader last night." The injured soldier commented lightly to the crowd.

"CaptainFaith, you are looking well." Teal'c got right to the point. That's what Jack liked about the former Jaffa. Didn't waste his time on too many pleasantries.

Doctor Fraiser nodded in agreement. To which, Cassidy shrugged lightly. "Must be all that awesome blood you guys gave me back. Seriously, I'll give you all chocolate or something." Carter and Sander joined the group just after Cassidy had said this. They were speaking animatedly about some sort of new thermal detection weapon that had been discovered.

After analyzing Cassidy's chart for a few moments, Fraiser looked at the girl and down again. While the good Doctor was busy being shocked by the Captain's swift recovery, Cassidy was being distracted by the look her new team member had on her face. Sander was staring at Cassidy half-committed, but something about the girl told Cassidy to be on her toes. "Looks like you'll be able to be released in 24-hours, Captain. You may even be back on duty in 48!" The disbelief in Fraiser's voice bothered Cassidy a bit. One thing she couldn't control was her rapid healing process. Hopefully, they would chalk it up to good genes and let it go.

Everyone began to settle themselves about the infirmary, obviously intent on staying there for awhile in order to visit with their injured teammate. "Don't you all have work to do?" Cassidy asked with eyebrows raised.

Anderson laughed. "Let's see… visit you or go through some more training exercises. Tough call."

"Yes, CaptainFaith, you give O'Neill a good reason to put off his sparring with me." Cassidy looked at Teal'c at the mention of sparring, to which he nodded his head only slightly. Whatever he knew he wasn't saying. That was pretty cool in her book.

The group all sat around and chatted for the better part of a half hour before Fraiser insisted that Cassidy needed her rest. This doomed Cassidy to several boring tests and staring some more at the wall. It also left her alone to worry about Lydecker closing in on her. That was her greatest fear right now. She was convinced that her only hope was to establish a strong bond with these people so that they wouldn't be so quick to give her up. Not that she minded, having friends again could be rewarding, as long as she was careful about it.

A sudden new worry came up in her head just as she was thinking about Zack and hoping for his safety. Her Tryptophan. It had been nearly two days since she'd been able to take it. Soon, she'd start exhibiting withdrawals. If informed, Lydecker would recognize who she was right away. That was a falling grace of X-5's, their addiction to Tryptophan. And now, it could be the end of her. That worry stayed with her as she counted the hours down.

* * *

**Chapter 12 Coming Soon! Please Review!**


	12. Without the Mask

**Author's Note**

Here's another chapter! I hope that you are enjoying the journey thus far and don't worry! There's still lots more to come!

3

Whitney

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Without the Mask**

"--released." Fraiser had no more than ended her long speech about Cassidy being granted her freedom than the young woman was up and looking for her clothes. Her wound had healed at a rapid rate, far faster than she would have preferred, but Fraiser seemed satisfied enough in attributing it to her youth for now. In the back of her mind, Cassidy silently worried that Fraiser would begin piecing things together, but her foremost worry was getting the Tryptophan in her system before it was too late.

The girl had felt the warning signals coming on for hours now. She was getting edgier and her mind was beginning to slip. X-5s were drug addicts that needed their fix or bad things happened. Cassidy knew from experience this meant seizures and a whole array of problems she just didn't want to deal with. Added on top of her problems was the fact that Lydecker was hanging on her turf, the day was beginning to dull out a bit. Nevertheless, Cassidy quickly slipped on some green pants Lyn had brought her, which were a bit snug for her taste, and a black t-shirt to match. Walking out of the infirmary, Cassidy breathed in a breath of 'fresh' air. But, the moment couldn't be indulged in too much. The seconds were ticking by and more and more she felt the need for her fix. Hurriedly, she went to the elevator and slid her card in. As the lift came to her floor, Cassidy sensed someone approaching from behind. Not really caring who it was and not daring to turn around, she stared straight forward at the fixed point on the metallic doors.

"CaptainFaith." Teal'c announced his presence as he came up right behind her, though she had long ago guessed it was him. Curse of having enhanced hearing was that she could predict based on step size and gait who was coming upon her.

"Hello, Teal'c." Cassidy said as cheerfully as she could. Immediately, the tall SG-1 member looked over at Cassidy with a raised eyebrow, though said nothing. He was obviously wondering what had changed her demeanor so much in the past few days. "Where are you headed?" Cassidy said as the doors slid open and the two entered the box.

He watched as she pushed the button for herlevel and waited for his reply. "We have a training session." He said simply as he input the correct number. There was a pause as silence impregnated the air. "SG-10 is expected to attend."

Cassidy looked at him slightly off-taken. "They-we are?" She asked. As best as she could recall, she hadn't been informed of any schedule changes, but then, she had been out of action for awhile.

"Yes, CaptainFaith. It is of utmost importance. Perhaps you should accompany me?"

The doors slid open on Cassidy's floor and she looked down the corridor hungrily. It would only take her a few moments to get to her quarters and get the Tryptophan. "Thanks, Teal'c, but I need to stop by my quart--" The young woman didn't get the chance to finish.

Suddenly, alarms were sounding and the place immediately went into high alert. "Unauthorized off-world activation." The system announced loudly and with authority. Cassidy grimaced as the doors slid shut and lead her to the lower level that housed the Stargate.

Cassidy spent the time cursing travelers as she and Teal'c jogged to the command center, where Major Carter was waiting. "The iris is open." Cassidy noted out loud to no one in particular as she watched the scene unfold in front of her.

Carter nodded and redirected her attention to Teal'c. "Bra'tac is en route." Teal'c nodded and left the room, leaving Cassidy to ponder if it had actually been a smile she had seen on the usually stoic man's face. "Teal'c and Bra'tac go way back." Sam explained as she watched an older gentlemen come through the gate's shimmery window. Cassidy studied him from afar and didn't bother hiding the dubious expression on her face. It was obvious that she didn't think he had much in the way of being a warrior, but if Manticore had taught her anything, it was to not underestimate one's strength.

"Wow." Anderson said from behind her as he joined the scene. Cassidy turned a bit to see what he was talking about. His focus was on Teal'c and Bra'tac, enthralled by their presence. "I hope he is doing our training session today--that would kick ass." Anderson said excitedly as the pair exited the gate room.

"Why?" Cassidy said as she turned and pushed Anderson out of the command center. It made no sense for them to congest the area any further. They were a waste of space at the moment.

"Because Bra'tac is IT on hand-to-hand. He schooled Teal'c. The man is a legend around here."

Immediately, the enhanced soldier's interests were piqued. It was always nice to be presented a challenge, especially one where someone was to have been a legend. 'Legends always do crumble.' She thought reflectively as she headed toward the lift once again, hoping to finally get hold of the drug that held power over her. Her hopes were immediately dashed when Teal'c and Bra'tac approached from behind.

"CaptainFaith, CaptainAnderson, this is Bra'tac, my mentor. Master, these are two members of SG-10."

Bra'tac bowed his head silently in greeting. "It is wonderful to meet you both. I assume you will be joining us on our training session today?" Cassidy's nose wrinkled at the thought of having to train with SG-1 again. The last time hadn't ended so well, though the glimmer in Teal'c's eye told her that he was anticipating their sparring again.

Anderson was the first to speak. "Of course. In fact, we were headed there now. Would you care to join us?" Cassidy groaned inwardly. What was it today and people signing her up to go places?

"Captain Faith, Teal'c has informed me that you recently suffered an injury while on mission. How are you feeling?" Bra'tac's voice was surprisingly warm and inviting for one who was supposed to be such an incredibly seasoned warrior.

"I'm fine, thanks."

"She's more than fine, she's great." Anderson said, which caused Cassidy to give him a hard jab to the ribs. "Ow!" He protested loudly as the two old friends raised their eyebrows. Despite this, Cassidy was still lead into the lift and again taken off-track. She needed to get to her quarters, not go train with her team. The group all rode in silence and walked out together to the training room. The two Colonels were there waiting on the rest of their team. They seemed bored with each other's presence but perked up when they saw the newcomers.

"Bra'tac, old friend, it's good to see you!" Colonel O'Neill greeted the older gentleman warmly as he walked over to shake the man's head. A quick body-flip later and the leader of SG-1 was rethinking his welcoming moves.

"As it is you, Colonel O'Neill. I see that you've much to learn yet." Jack begrudgingly stood up and dusted himself off, though Cassidy suspected it was more to occupy himself from his pride than actually getting any dust off of his clothes.

Turning his attention onto Cassidy, the older soldier's eyes narrowed in an instinctive fatherly way. Cassidy braced herself for the scolding that was about to take place. "Didn't you JUST get released from the infirmary?"

Cassidy's mind raced. She already had been diverted from her original objective of getting her Tryptophan. It was a possibility that she could manipulate Jack's worrying for her to her advantage. "Actually, yes." She admitted guiltily. Anderson stared at her sideways from her sudden change in attitude, but said nothing.

"CaptainFaith appears to be doing quite well." Teal'c said honestly, though the glimmer in his eye told her that he was looking for a match. Cassidy smiled in reply and nodded her head silently as if accepting his challenge. Mentally, she slapped herself for temporarily forgetting about her required fix. Things got to be a bit tricky when she tried to be friendly.

"I'll just go and change my clothes." She said as naturally as she could as she dismissed herself from the group and turned for the door. The way she figured it, if she went as fast as she could, she'd be changed and had her dose before they missed her.

Bra'tac's hand on her shoulder unfortunately paused her escape. Reluctantly, the shorter brunette turned around to face the group again. What could he want now? "Surely you do not need to change in order to show me what you know? Wasn't it you, O'Neill, who said that all of your Air Force's clothes are multi-functional?"

Larayne tooka longlook at Cassidy's clothes. Knowing herself that they were too tight thanks to her new teammate, the mental head slap wasn't too hard to imagine on his part. "I'm sure Captain Faith would be more than happy to do a quick run-thru before the rest of the group gets here." And so it was settled. Just like that. Her superior had given her an order, albeit a silent one, and she was expected to do what he said. Bastard.

"This ought to be exciting." Anderson said gleefully as he moved off the main floor and went to what had been established the 'side lines.' He looked like a kid about to watch his favorite movie, sans the popcorn of course. Teal'c and the two Colonels lined up beside him.

Cassidy stared at them all hard for a second, but did as she was told and went to the center of the room. Analyzing him, she wondered how long she would have to play it up before annihilating his old body so she could get her meds. Ordinarily, Bra'tac would have been a practically non-existent threat to her. The X-series were nowhere near that old so there wasn't a chance that he would go all Manticore on her; plus, she had double checked that possibly theory by glancing at his neck. However, who knew what the man was capable of? And if he had a Goa'uld? What then?

Bra'tac did his own analysis and obviously mistook her for a confident young soldier. Though not completely wrong, he had been mistaken for the attitude's source. Some soldiers were confident because of their ignorance, she was confident because she knew that she was better. The old man did a good job, feigning non-interest in her as she sat just as calmly no more than four feet away from her. Neither held any weapons: it was to be hand-to-hand. Cassidy's muscles itched to go into action, but she knew that was what Bra'tac wanted her to do. He wanted her to show her weakness so that he could overcome her. The seconds ticked by, each opponent staring the other down, daring one another to make the first move. Jack cleared his throat a bit too noisily to suggest they get moving, but neither reacted. Finally, Cassidy gave in and played the role of the too-quick-to-judge youth. She went for an easy roundabout kick that would have landed right on his face has Bra'tac not sidestepped and grabbed onto her leg. Just as she predicted, Cassidy stopped short and was thrown to the floor.

"Your mistake is underestimating your opponent." Bra'tac announced as he held Cassidy down with her leg straight in the air. It was all she could do not to roll her eyes at his assumptions. Breathing evenly, she realized that she was beginning to sweat slightly. It was becoming more urgent for her to give her body what it needed.

Thinking swiftly, Cassidy coiled back the leg Bra'tac had, lowering his center of gravity significantly. With a smooth maneuver, she brought her free leg around in order to trip him. The experienced warrior caught on and jumped over. However, the distraction gave her time enough to push off into a backward flip, releasing the grip he had on her leg. "And yours is you assume those younger than you are less skilled and have much to learn. Perhaps it is the old dog needing to learn new tricks?"

Bra'tac nodded at her words, but didn't allow it to effect his techniques. Cassidy acknowledged silently that this was a mark of a true warrior. Obviously, it would do not good to taunt the man. "You are unwise to judge your opponent so soon." He said simply as they circled around each other.

Their audience watched astounded as the two began to trade blows and counterblows. Neither noticed as they continued to duke it out, hoping the other would slip up. Cassidy was aware she was showing more talent than need-be, but she justified it by the fact she was only going a fraction of what she was capable of. Bra'tac and Teal'c presented her challenges she hadn't felt in years. It was a welcome change to be put up against ones as talented as they.

Bra'tac pulled a quick maneuver that put him behind her back, but Cassidy didn't hesitate. Moving to the side, she quickly pivoted on her left leg and brought her right leg up so that it encircled his neck. Just as smoothly, she spun and allowed the act of motion to bring Bra'tac to the ground. He immediately undercut he, which she suspected he would, causing them both to lay thinking about their next move. Bra'tac jumped up smoothly and was about to offer Cassidy a quick kick to the gut when she suddenly brought her legs up and used the momentum to bring her to her feet again. The two began to work faster around each other, each trying to get the better of the other.

Finally, Bra'tac went to the wooden staff propped up against the wall. It wasn't meant to be used for sparring, though. She sensed that the old man was going to use this opportunity to make a metaphor about the field and immediately the win would be his by default. Now, she had two options. She could let him win or she could show him that she was superior. As she zagged to the left andexited his line of fire, Cassidy realized that it had never been a conscious choice on her part. She was programmed to succeed. Effortlessly, she ran at him as he turned to face her and grabbed hold of the mock staff weapon. He stared at her for the split second her could before she seemingly ran up the wall behind him and did a back flip, weapon in hand. Now, facing him, she pointed the wooden staff at him. "Thank you, Master." She said as politely as she could, signaling the end of the fight.

He chose not to answer. It was not an honorable thing to be beaten by a hotshot. "Um… what just happened here?" Daniel asked honestly as he, Carter, and Lynn stood at the entrance of the workout room. Their gaping faces told everyone that they had seen the end of the fight.

"It would appear our Captain Faith is a skilled warrior." Bra'tac humbly stated. He had long ago forgone showing his pride. It was a stupid thing to exhibit.

Cassidy's hands began shaking slightly. She panicked, knowing what the onslaught of symptoms would be like. As fast as she could, she put the fake weapon back in its place and headed for the door. This time, she couldn't be stopped. "Where are you going, Captain? We have not begun our training session." Larayne said authoritatively, stopping her in her tracks.

She turned to stare at the group, somewhat pleadingly, holding her hands behind her back in order to allow their incessant shaking to go by unnoticed. "I-I'm going to change beforethings get anymore physical."

"It would appear you did fine with the clothes you have." Lynn commented, much too smugly for Cassidy's taste. Silently, Cassidy marked another reason down for why she didn't like Lynn.

"Yes, well, even so--" She turned and jogged out without another word. There was going to be words exchanged that she didn't need to be there for. Exclamations about how talented she the young XO was wasn't going to benefit her in the least. In fact, their having seen what she just pulled was a huge liability that she had allowed. 'Thank God Lydecker hadn't been around to see it.' She thought to herself as she rushed to the elevator. A slip of the card gave her access to the car and her means to freedom. Only a few floors and she could get her medicine. Then she could return to the shocked group.

"CaptainFaith, I do not believe you are required to leave this floor to get training gear." His comment struck her blood cold. She had been so obsessed with her own worries that she hadn't even noticed he was coming up behind her. But, now, her thoughts were far too sporadic to concentrate on the potential threat Teal'c posed. "CaptainFaith?" Teal'c asked as the elevator doors open and she jumped in hurriedly.

Cassidy turned to dictate to the elevator where she wanted to go. Teal'c's hard gaze told her that her rapidly increasing tremors were not going unnoticed, despite her best attempts to conceal them. "Teal'c, I must go." She finally pleaded as the shakes worsened to the point she needed to lean against the wall. Before long, she would be in a full-out seizure and then a coma. Neither were a pleasant thought.

Teal'c instinctively stepped into the car and allowed the doors to close behind him. The young girl in front of him was sweating profusely and obviously in distress. "CaptainFaith, we should go to the infirmary."

"No!" Cassidy screamed as she grabbed onto Teal'c's arm with all of her strength, causing him to be a bit taken back. Another attempt was thwarted before the man, nearly twice her size, began looking at her as a threat rather than a mere victim. "Teal'c, I can't go there." She begged, knowing that the elevator was bound to go active to a different level in only a matter of moments.

"You are ill." Teal'c said, though he made no gesture to push the button. His voice oozed of suspicion and Cassidy flinched at the thought of having to fight him in her weakened state.

"Yes, Teal'c, I am ill, but the infirmary cannot help me. I need to get back to my quarters. There is medicine there that will stop this. Please."

She was desperate. He could sense that. For some reason or another, the girl couldn't afford to be seen in her current state. Teal'c wasn't going to pretend to understand it or try to. She had superior strength and immeasurable combat skills and yet she wasn't Goa'uld. Whatever she was, she was a potential threat. "I will take you to your quarters. You will explain then." He said simply as he allowed the elevator to carry them to the appropriate level.

Cassidy acted as cool as she could for the camera in the elevator as they rode silently. She was weakening by the second. As soon as the doors opened, she stepped out and realized that she would be able to get there by herself. Teal'c sensed this and immediately stepped beside her. Appearing as casual as he could, he used his strength to give her enough leverage to walk semi-normally. There were no guards between the elevator and her quarters and the cameras would be messed with enough to detect the girl's declining state.

He used her card to allow them access to her quarters and Cassidy immediate lunged for her mattress. After a few moments of panicked searching, she opened up a bottle and swallowed a pill. Teal'c noted the sparse room but kept his attention on the young girl before him. Ten minutes flew by as the medicine reacted in Cassidy's system. Neither moved an inch, save for the severe shaking Cassidy unwillingly did on the floor while she waited. Finally, the tremors subsided back to small shakes, giving her enough control over her body to sit on the edge of her bed. Teal'c stood by silently. There was no need for her to ask what he expected.

The way she saw it, she had two options. One, she could divulge everything to Teal'c and hope that he wouldn't say anything to anyone else. Two, she could take the former Jaffa down and make a run for it. That would mean, however, that she could never come back and that she would be alone. Not to mention the fact that Lydecker would get wind of her actions and be right on her trail.

A knock on the door broke her thoughts. Immediately, Cassidy's heart quickened and she wondered if Lydecker and a firing squad were on the other side. If she had been found out, Lydecker would be quick to take his multi-million dollar soldier to Manticore. He had spent twelve years search for them, he wasn't going to give up merely because she was a member of the Air Force. The fear in Cassidy's eyes was quite evident to Teal'c who acknowledge the knocking on the door with merely a glance. They both stood there, wondering what the other's next move would be. Finally, Cassidy gave in with a sigh and walked as steadily as she could to the door. With a silent prayer, she opened the metallic object. Bra'tac stood on the other side. His facial expression conveyed no emotion and only a nod greeted Teal'c. Cassidy suddenly felt trapped and instantly forgot about her happiness that Lydecker wasn't there to greet her. "There is much to discuss." Sensing that it wasn't a suggestion, Cassidy allowed the man to enter her quarters and to stand next to Teal'c. She looked at him now and realized that he was wearing the Jaffa armor. It was highly peculiar to be staring at a supposed ally with it on. Then again, both of these men could easy become her enemy in seconds.

"The Air Force has upped their training requirements." She threw it out there just for the sake of her trying to cover her tracks. The chances of them buying it were extremely slim, but she had to give it a go anyway.

"You are a warrior. But for someone as skilled as you at your age… it's unheard of." Bra'tac said openly. Teal'c nodded in agreement.

"Shouldn't we be getting back to the sparring?"

The invitation wasn't taken up by either of the men. "I have suspended the training for awhile. I merely stated that I felt Kelnoreem was appropriate before I continued. We are to meet back in two hours. I believe that is plenty of time for you to explain."

Cassidy sat on her bed in defeat. "I have been training for a long time." She said simply. The two men looked indifferent at the small piece of knowledge she had handed them over, not knowing what it truly meant. "For a very long time. Like since birth."

"CaptainFaith, do they not have restrictions on what children of a young age may and may not do on your planet?"

She nodded meekly. "They do in the civilian world. But I didn't exactly enjoy the same childhood experiences as other children do."

"You're not human." Bra'tac said simply, catching her off guard. She wasn't prepared for this conversation and wasn't prepared for the havoc it was wreaking on her emotionally. It had been a long time since she had dealt with all of her demons.

"No, not fully." Another pause. "I was genetically engineered to be a perfect soldier. Though I am primarily made up of human DNA, there was other lines that were borrowed from to enhance qualities. As a product of this, I can run faster, see better, hear more, am stronger…" She trailed off, her pointhaving beenmade.

Teal'c stared at the smaller figure before him. It would appear to an outsider that she could barely hurt a fly, though the strength she exhibited in the elevator told him she was speaking of the truth. "You are unique to this planet then?"

Cassidy shook her head. "I come from a corporation. Manticore. I am a product of several years of genetic research. This barcode on my neck," she turned and lifted up her hair, "designates me as part of the corporation's X-series. X-5 to be more precise. I was born from an embryo implanted into a human and was immediately brought up to be a perfect soldier in every right. By the time I was nine I had extensive knowledge of weapons, combat, assassinations, you name it. Manticore was well on their way to having their intended objects become a reality. Until we escaped." She paused again, afraid of what the two men were thinking of her. "Eleven others and I--we managed to free ourselves from Manticore. We all separated and I haven't seen any of my brothers or sisters since, except the one who saved me a few days ago."

The two were silent as they took in the story. It was obviously hard to believe, considering how farfetched it sound. "Yours is not unlike our stories, CaptainFaith." Teal'c said simply, relating his servitude to the false gods with her imprisonment to Manticore.

"Yes, we too were subjected to horrible things during our service of the false gods. We are not all that different." Bra'tac thought further. "We too are victims of choices made before our time. The Goa'uld that give us strength inside us can be compared to the DNA that changes your talents."

She was too afraid to speak. To breathe. What if these men betrayed her? It would be her fault in the end. She had divulged her secret now. It was out there and hung heavily in the air. "They cannot find out." She said as she stood up. The medicine had finally had its full effect.

"I do not believe it is in your best interest to hide something of this nature from the rest." Bra'tac noted.

Cassidy shook her head. "You don't understand. Manticore is obsessed with finding us and retrieving their lost products. They will do anything in their power to see that we are returned. My foster mother was killed because of this."

"Surely, O'Neill could be trusted."

"You have faith in Colonel O'Neill, but I'm afraid I cannot. He will be forced to reveal this to General Hammond. From there, who knows? The Air Force surely won't pass up an opportunity to figure out what makes me tick. Could you imagine if they could engineer their own soldiers? The fight with the Goa'uld would be put in our favor!" Cassidy paused. "A man who works for the corporation, who tortured me as a child, is here. On this base. If he discovers that I am one of his escapees, I will be taken back to Manticore. This isn't a question of loyalties. I can't afford to let anyone know who I am."

"You were not showing us your full strength before." Bra'tac said simply.

Cassidy nodded. "No, that is only a small fraction of what I am capable of."

"I sensed this."

"As did I." Teal'c agreed.

The three proven warriors all stood lost in their own thoughts. "Bra'tac, Teal'c, if you divulge this information, I will not be able to remain here. The fight against the Goa'uld will no longer be my problem."

This acknowledgement was enough to prompt Bra'tac into speaking again. "I do not believe it is our duty to reveal this concealment, CaptainFaith. It is yours to hide and thus far you have not shown us any reason to regard you as a threat. If you believe the Goa'ulds to be false gods and are an enemy that must fall, I consider you an ally." A nod from Teal'c signed the contract amongst the three of them. "It is a shame you are not able to perform to your full skill on the battle field. You would be a striking warrior to have on our side." A moment passed as Bra'tac thought. "Teal'c, you and CaptainFaith should begin training together alone. I believe there is much to be learned from her as there is much she can learn from you."

"Of course." Teal'c said. It was obvious he wasn't about to disagree with Bra'tac when he was offering to let him go head-to-head with the one person on Earth who could possibly take him. The challenge was exciting in itself.

"Thank you." Cassidy's relief evident on her face and her voice. "I owe you one."

The three moved toward the door as there was nothing left to say. The agreement had been made. As they walked into the corridor and began to head to the elevator, Teal'c smirked at a thought. "Master Bra'tac at 135-years-old beaten down by a 21-year-old."

"If it helps any, you were good competition." Cassidy said sympathetically.

Bra'tac allowed her to swipe her card. "Who is to say that I exhibited all of my talents?" The other two were left to contemplate this as the man proudly stepped into cab.

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**Chapter Thirteen is on its way! Please Review!**


	13. What Lies Beneath

**Author's Note**

**Here's the Fourteenth chapter! Sorry for not updating as often as I had promised! I lost my inspiration for a bit and was attacked by that which was the beginning of my sophomore year in college. Have no fear, though! There's still a LOT to tell of Cassidy's story and it will get out there!**

**I hope you are enjoying the story so far!**

**Whitney**

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: What Lies Beneath**

Cassidy hated Lydecker. She hated how he looked, smelled, spoke, and she especially despised the way he breathed. He was a complete waste of good oxygen and he was unfortunately breathing hers. Lydecker had become a nagging intruder in her way of life for the past few weeks. Though she had managed to completely avoid the man the rest of her team sang praises of, she still could feel his evilness teasing her skin. It was as if he were waiting to kill her slowly. She was sure he was savoring it. Or, at least, he would be if he would have any idea that she were in his presence.

The highly trained soldier had a very tense week after revealing to Teal'c who she was. X-5's weren't built to trust people and she was no different. Each new day brought a threat to her and Cassidy constantly regretted her decision. There were some benefits, though. Her muscles felt a new invigoration as Teal'c and she trained in private. She was learning to better hone her skills with some Jaffa techniques and Teal'c was enjoying the improvement he received from training with a warrior as unique as she. Bra'tac had stayed on base, a rare occurrence according to Jack, in order to see what she was really capable of. Cassidy could taste his excitement as he predicted what an asset she would be in their fight with the Goa'uld. But, she reminded them constantly, it would not matter if the humans discovered what she truly was.

SG-10 went on normal rotation just in time to ease Cassidy's nerves. The past two weeks had been filled with mission reports, research, and a couple of adventures through the stargate. Unfortunately, they were more adventures geared toward the archaeologist-types than what she was interested in. But, then, what she was interested in usually involved a knife and the inevitable throwing of said knife. Violence seemed to be the only thing that could take the edge off of Cassidy's worries lately; a problem that had the potential to explode. When at Manticore, Cassidy had heard the researchers absent mutterings about the possibility of X-5's becoming adrenaline junkies and the older she grew, the more she believed it. To be able to use the skills she was made to do was something Cassidy was becoming more and more focused on each day. Her sad choice of psychology provided Cassidy with supposedly fascinating developments of the human psyche, which did nothing to curb her appetite. While the psychological impact of the stargate missions on her teammates was a great study to bide her time, Cassidy ached to exercise her other talents. Like hostile interrogation.

"There's something wrong." Cassidy announced to Teal'c as she sat at the table he had selected. Her voice hinted at the personal nature of the topic, but the two were unable to continue as Jack was directly on Cassidy's heels. "And I'm not speaking of the peculiar nature of this Beef Stroganoff."

"I happen to enjoy this meal, Captain." Jack took a big bite as if to prove his point.

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me, Colonel." Cassidy quipped before she took a long drink of her bottled water.

"What doesn't, Captain?" Larayne interrupted as he sat down next to his Executive Officer. While their relationship was still tense at times, they were making the best of the situation. Rumor had it they were even beginning to become friends.

"Jack wants to marry me. Bought a ring and everything."

SG-1's Commanding Officer accidentally sputtered his milk all over the table, giving an unwelcome shower to the other three inhabitants. "Marry you?" He asked as he barely contained his laughter. "You're young enough to be my daughter! I should be grounding you!"

"I would think it unwise to place punishment on one whom you'd like to lure onto your team, O'Neill." Teal'c added his piece before taking a bite of his meal. The beef stroganoff didn't faze him.

"She's mine, Jack. You can't have her." Larayne joked at his long-time friend.

Cassidy shook her head. "I refuse to believe I belong to anyone, Colonel. That would be much too reminiscent of the concubine days for me." Her comment was risqué enough to add a bit of color to LaRayne's cheeks.

"Great. I'm gone for five minutes and I miss the sex talk." Anderson pretended to pout as he sat down to lunch with the others. Cassidy shook her head amusedly as she began poking at the beef. Anderson stared dubiously at his plate as well and wisely headed for the salad first.

With lightning-fast quickness, Cassidy suddenly stabbed her fork violently into Anderson's food. He looked back at her with a surprised glance. "I swear it! The thing winked at me! I was only doing you a favor!"

Anderson laughed and continued to pick at the lettuce in front of him. Cassidy and he had begun to bond over their usual lunchtime antics. He was growing more comfortable now that she had allowed a few of her barriers to lower. Anderson depended on lightheartedness to judge who he was going to trust. "It's times like these you are thankful that we spend our lunch hours off-duty." Larayne voiced as he joined in the dissection of today's meal. Suddenly, freeze-dried corn didn't sound so bad.

"Where are your other two teammates, Colonel?" Anderson asked politely. Cassidy knew that he idolized SG-1 and choked back a smile.

"Sam and Daniel are off-world staring at some new finding. All I got from the briefing was that I wouldn't be interested. Teal'c and I opted to stay home and catch up on paperwork."

"O'Neill, I have no knowledge of any paperwork I am to complete."

Jack grimaced. "Okay, more accurately, I am to finish up on my paperwork. The General politely hinted I needed to complete some mission reports or I would be receiving a demotion."

"Hey, Lynn." Cassidy greeted her teammate half-heartedly. While she attempted to keep up a good atmosphere with her female counterpart, she still disliked the woman immensely. Something about her reeked of enemy.

"Hello, Captain." The properness in Lynn's voice made Cassidy feel like she was back at Manticore again. Larayne had ordered his team to address each other more personally for awhile in order to build a friendlier atmosphere. Thus far, Miss PhD had refused.

The next ten minutes were spent speaking idly on various topics, a recurring one being about the Simpsons and Jack's fascination with both Lynn and Cassidy having never watched the television series. Cassidy had yet to disclose the fact that she had never watched TV. and wasn't planning to in the near future. Lynn, she was sure, would rather be filing reports than go near the tube as well. "I think I'm due for some P.T." Cassidy excused herself after deciding finally that there was no way the meat was entering her mouth.

"I will join you, CaptainFaith." Teal'c invited himself. Shrugging noncommittally, Cassidy stood from the table and collected her tray. The two walked out of the mess hall and toward the elevator.

Anderson's eyes lingered on the exiting figures before bringing his attention back to the group. "Anyone else want to join the club?"

"The club?" Lynn asked stiffly as she finished chewing another bite of her meal.

"Y'know. The Cassidy and Teal'c club? Those two are constantly working out, but it seems like we're never around to watch."

Jack set down his fork. Cassidy's earlier comment about the sludge winking had made his usually immense appetite die. "I'm sure it's nothing too unusual. Besides, it's good for the both of them. I was afraid Cassidy's personality was going to have to be extracted with a nuke, but she's coming along nicely." His interest in the two's private workouts had been piqued as well, but he wasn't about to comment on it in public. Jack had other ways of finding things out.

**Teal'c's office**

Cassidy sat down on the floor opposite Teal'c and stared into the flame. He had been attempting to share with her the technique of Kelnoreem for days now, but she refused to believe that focusing her energy into the candle was going to help her at all. The fact that she had a hard time sitting still lately didn't help the problem. "I still can't believe you have an office. What are you going to use it for? Harboring your staff weapon?"

Teal'c shifted slightly. "CaptainFaith, an important aspect of Kelnoreem is silence."

"Silence is boring."

"Perhaps, but silence also allows your mind to focus its thoughts and energy."

"I can't."

Teal'c had sensed a change in Cassidy's demeanor for awhile now, but had waited patiently for her to divulge what was happening. "What is the problem, CaptainFaith?"

"I'm feeling antsy, confined, much too energetic, and am smelling everything." Cassidy said, almost depressed, as she removed her gaze from the candle. Too much flickering.

"It is possible you are adjusting to your new environment." Teal'c replied thoughtfully.

Cassidy shook her head in the negative. "That's not it. Part of being a perfect soldier is being able to adapt easily to new situations. I'm afraid this is much worse." Teal'c raised an eyebrow, yet said nothing. It was her cue to continue. "Teal'c, remember when I told you that I'm not human in the sense that I don't have all human D.N.A.?"

"I recall your mentioning that the doctors mixed some animal qualities to enhance your physique, yes."

"Exactly. A little bit of everything, really. Cheetah for speed; bear for the ability to fast; dog for smell; cat for sight; so on and so forth. The problem is, I may be human, but I'm not. The downside of having mixed D.N.A. is that at times I mimic the animal attributes."

"Is that not what they intended, CaptainFaith? Your skills are from the animals."

"Yes, well, it would have been nice if they would have made it so that I wouldn't go into heat." There was no need to explain this to Teal'c. He had witnessed Jack's pet of one month be tortured by this twice-yearly event.

"You are worried about the effect it will have on you?"

"No. I'm worried because I know what effect it will have on me. My entire mentality changes, Teal'c. I'm no longer always in control. I have a different driving force that is incredibly hard to satisfy. It could be dangerous."

Teal'c sat still as he collected his thoughts. "You sense this coming on?"

Cassidy swallowed and closed her eyes. "Since last week I've known. The restlessness starts and doesn't stop until it's over. There will be a point soon when I enter the phase completely. It's not something that I can prevent."

"How long will this last?"

"Two days has been the longest. Sometimes shorter. I don't know what to do. In the past, I've been able to conveniently take a LOA during this time, but we're scheduled for a mission soon." Cassidy paused. "It could get bad."

"I believe this would be where O'Neill would say, 'we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.'" Teal'c gestured toward the candle. "Kelnoreem may help your situation, CaptainFaith."

Cassidy nodded thankfully. Teal'c once again focused his energy and she stared absentmindedly at the flame in front of her. It flickered hesitantly in the near-empty room, almost as if trying to explain the true potential it held. The flame may have been small, but it had the ability to grow and consume entire buildings. One little flame such as this could be a life-saving instrument to someone or a life-taking one. She was the same, really. As a genetically-engineered human she always had the choice to kill or to rescue. Manticore had always focused its training on the killing aspect. It was kill or be killed for them, nothing in between. If a teammate were injured, one needed to kill them in order to survive. There were no personal attachments, emotions, or regrets in their world. If one wanted to complete a mission successfully, she had to let go of everything and dwell within herself. Cassidy shuddered as she recalled a time when she had been satisfied with that. It was a time when she was the least human of all. The worst part was that the person who could do that, who could be Manticore's perfect soldier, was still within her. She was hibernating. She was waiting for the day when the reformed Cassidy would lose the battle of good and evil and go back to the way she had been. The way she was meant to be.

'I'll never be like them.' Cassidy thought to herself as she watched some wax drip down the candle. 'I'll never be able to fully be as good as them.' The sad thought was enough for her to become depressed. What was the use of pretending to be someone else when she had absolutely no chance of achieving it? No matter what she did, her inner soldier was always going to kick in when it came down to the time of live or die. It was her survival instinct. A programming that had begun at her birth and had been ingrained into her through her early years of life. She was never going to be as affected when killing someone as someone else at the SGC. While it made her an incredible soldier, it saddened her inner-most being. What would they do if they ever discovered who she was? What she was capable of? What she had done already? Confiding in Teal'c had been the right thing to do, but she doubted he fully understood what she was. He had been an alien brought into the human's world and they had accepted him wholeheartedly. Cassidy knew he had a hard time believing that they would betray her, but she knew that they would. No matter how strong of relationships they formed between one another, she would always have to remain a stranger for them. She was indeed a lot like the candle. Contained and aching to branch out.

**The Next Day, 0600 hours**

"Much too early in the morning." Anderson said as he stifled a yawn. Cassidy rolled her eyes in unison with Larayne. The Colonel was still working the sleep out of his eyes, but Cassidy looked just fine. An X-5 didn't exactly need coffee to get through the day.

They had just come out of the gate and were now staring at a 100 foot square clearing that was surrounded completely by trees. "Great. There are trees." Cassidy commented as she stared at the tall leafy plants that were a bane to her existence. Trees provided great cover for enemies and tended to slow one's escape when they were everywhere.

Lynn raised an eyebrow and shook her head. "So the MALP doesn't lie." The comment was said under her breath, but Cassidy caught it anyway. She resisted the urge to punch the irritating doctor.

"Alright, people, let's load up. We've got some ground to cover. There's a village within five miles of here that we need to check out for Goa'uld inhabitance." Larayne took the lead and the rest of the team followed him in formation. The more the four worked together, the more fluid their movements became. It still was nothing like the teamwork Manticore soldiers exhibited, but SG-10 had something to be proud of.

Cassidy listened as close as she could to the quiet whispers of the forest. Her super-enhanced hearing picked up every stick breaking and every bird chirping. If there were any birds on this planet, anyhow. Thus far, the forest had been sans chirp. In fact, it had been sans a lot of things. "Anyone else note the lack of wildlife in the area?"

"Yes." Lynn said gruffly as she continued walking. The physiologist was sure not one for extended talking.

Anderson turned his head slightly to acknowledge Cassidy. She had the rear, Larayne the front, and the other two had the sides. "What do you think that means, Captain?"

She shrugged. "Might mean nothing at all."

"Without the source of meat, though, we could be looking at a village of cannibals." Anderson added.

Larayne shifted his gun. "Cannibals, huh? That's great. We get the cannibals and SG-1 gets artifacts." The four walked the remainder of the way in silence, each plagued by their own thoughts. Cassidy's concern about the lack of wildlife didn't cease. It was almost eerie to listen to the dull sounds of the forest. "Quarter mile out." Larayne announced.

Cassidy stared at the back of his head. She resisted the urge to question his accuracy as she listened harder into the great expanse. They couldn't be that close to the village! There were no sounds! Her enhanced vision did her no good as there were still too many trees to be able to ascertain just what was going on. "Hmmm." Anderson murmured as they came into the village.

It was pretty standard as villages go. There were the houses (which appeared to be very small in size), wells to draw water from, other structures, and streets made of stone. It wasn't the most advanced place they had happened upon, but a place nonetheless. "Anyone notice the lack of people?" Cassidy mimicked her earlier question and tweaked it slightly.

SG-10 was standing in combat-ready stance, but the need for it seemed minimal. It was almost like a ghost town. Larayne rounded about to address his subordinates. "There were people here as of 24-hours ago. They can't have gone far."

The super soldier looked at the Commanding Officer skeptically. She was hearing absolutely no sounds in a place where there should be several. "We were expecting at least a 1,000. This isn't right." Anderson said as he gazed around the lifeless place. "Then again, maybe they have group time where they all get together and worship something. Not uncommon."

Larayne nodded. "All right. Everyone branch out. Stay in radio contact and keep your eyes open for hostiles."

His team acted accordingly and Cassidy found herself going deeper into the village. With her gun ready for an assailant, Cassidy was still thrown off by the immense amount of silence. Not that she didn't mind silence, but when going into a place of people, it was highly unexpected. If these people were all worshipping collectively, they were doing it in quiet. When she had reached the edge of the village and still had not seen a soul, Cassidy did the next thing on her list: snooping around the buildings until she found something. Cassidy allowed herself entry into one of the smaller buildings first and found herself to be right in the assumption that it was someone's home. There weren't too many objects in the house, she noted immediately. A bed, a fireplace, a table, and a small writing scroll were all the house boasted. It was sad that she would have felt right at home.

Picking up the writing scroll, Cassidy noticed immediately it was a peculiar blend of Arabic and Egyptian. She hadn't the opportunity to study either in depth, but was able to pick up on a select few words like 'visitors', 'promises', and 'evil.' She guessed it probably wasn't Santa making his yearly rounds. Just as she was about to exit the house, something stopped her in her tracks. On the bed were some clothes and shoes. It wouldn't have been too extraordinary if they hadn't been situated precisely as though they were on a person. Either these people were extremely organized or something was going on.

"Anyone find anything?" LaRayne's voice crackled over her talkie.

Cassidy waited patiently for Anderson and Sander to reply in the negative before she added her two cents. "I have a scroll of writing I found in one of the houses. I'm about to enter a tall structure at the very edge of town."

The building was entirely comprised of stone and didn't have any windows. It was taller than any nearby structures, standing at about 150 feet off the ground. Cassidy opened the wooden doors and heard for the first time the sounds she had been looking for. Except it wasn't the one she wanted to hear. Following the single voice, she came out of the small entryway into something that appeared to be a worship hall. When she confirmed where the voice came from, Cassidy immediately radioed the rest of her team. "We've got a problem here."

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen is on its way shortly! Please Review!**


	14. A Moth to the Flame

_Author's Note:_

At last. After so much waiting and wondering, I present you Chapter Fourteen. Things are going to start heating up for our friend Cassidy. I hope you enjoy it! Leave a review!

-Whit

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: A Moth to a Flame**

"We've got a problem here."

The radio was silent for a moment while the other team members converged on her location. Problems didn't need explaining, they needed response. It was team policy and was followed religiously. As Cassidy waited, she started to feel herself sweat. For a superhuman that adapted to a wide variety of temperatures (she could be comfortable in 0-130 degrees without worry), she wasn't used to sweating. In fact, it only happened when there was something wrong with her body. With a slight groan, Cassidy realized that what she was feared was happening. She had gone into heat while on mission.

Her thoughts were becoming more skewed as she stared up at the disheartening image before here. There, in all his holographic glory, stood Apophis. Apparently, the people of this planet hadn't been so good to the false god, as he was informing them of their demise. Cassidy listened as Apophis told about a new weapon that had been created just to destroy their worthless lives. He didn't exactly go into the details of the weapon, which was to be expected. Apophis wasn't exactly big on the telling of the way people were going to die. All they needed to know was they needed to be afraid and there would inevitably be lots of pain.

She could tell that the team was drawing closer. Her supersensitive senses were picking up on the testosterone long before they came near. With every step they drew closer, her body began to focus more intently on satisfying its primal urge. Looking for strength, Cassidy gripped onto a seat next to her. The temporary grip was only instantaneous as her now hard-to-control body snapped it in half. "Oops." Cassidy mumbled as the team came running through the door.

"Captain-- oh." Larayne didn't need to ask what the problem was. He could see Apophis with his own eyes. Cassidy avoided looking at either Larayne or Anderson and instead attempted to divert her attention on disliking Lynn. It wasn't going all that well.

"He killed all of these people." Anderson noted. He paused as he noticed the peculiar way in which Cassidy was staring intently at the floor. "But with what weapon? Why?"

Larayne shrugged uselessly. He wasn't the linguist of the group. "Faith, grab that holographic emitter. We need to take it back to the SGC for analysis." Cassidy seemed mesmerized by the floor, so much so that he had to give the order again. "Faith. Get the emitter."

Cassidy brought her attention to the Colonel and he immediately noticed the change in her eyes. She was no longer the hot-headed soldier he had come to know. There was something different. A hunger. Cassidy maintained eye contact with him as she walked past slowly, then walked just as slowly to the front of the building and grabbed the emitter. She turned around to stare back at the rest of her team. Lynn seemed to be studying her female counterpart with interest, but said nothing.

"Anyone see any life?" Larayne barked, drawing everyone's attention back to the situation at hand.

"Negative." Anderson said in reply at Cassidy's sauntering back down the aisle. Somehow, she was exuding sexiness. It was like he could almost taste her femininity. Very peculiar indeed.

"All right. Let's move out. I don't want to be back here if Apophis decides to bring his goons back for damage control. It doesn't look like we can be of any further assistance now."

Cassidy nodded and forced herself to walk out of the building rapidly. It was either that or rip all of her clothes off and beg the two men for satisfaction. The team fell into formation behind her, but she continued on without notice. As long as she was moving, she didn't need to worry about forcing herself to stop anything. "Faith! Slow up!" Anderson said from behind, causing Cassidy to roll her eyes.

"What? You need more PT time, Anderson? Get a move-on!" Faith barked back clearly annoyed at the situation.

"Faith. Do what he said." Larayne barked right back. Cassidy narrowed her eyes and stopped immediately. Then, she spun around to stare at her team. To her surprise, they were all double-timing it just to keep up with her. "What's going on? We don't need to get back THAT quickly, Captain."

Cassidy ran her eyes from the top of his body to his boots. Damn if he didn't look good. "Sorry." She said halfheartedly just as she spun around again and began walking slower. Things like this happened when she was in heat. She tended to like everything fast and immediately, which didn't work out entirely well when dealing with normal humans. Cassidy could practically feel Lynn's curious gaze boring into the back of her head, but she couldn't bring herself to care. All she wanted was to get home and go through a very, very, very long shower.

The hyper-tuned soldier practically had to throw herself through the Stargate to avoid touching any of her team members. As they came across the horizon and out the other side, they noted curiously as she raced out of the gate room and headed for her required physical. The rest of them lulled a bit and filled in General Hammond with what was happening before continuing on.

"Am I done yet?" Cassidy asked a bit breathily as she sat on the edge of a hospital bed. Frasier stared at the young woman curiously. She had been severely irritable for the past five minutes and the doctor was beginning to worry absently that this mysteriously weapon SG-10 had discovered had adverse psychological effects. However, Cassidy's other three teammates seemed perfectly fine.

"Almost, Captain. It seems you have an elevated temperature. We may need to run a few more tests."

Cassidy resisted the urge to whine. "I feel fine! Just because a girl has a 100 degree core doesn't make her sick. Please let me go?" Nope. The whining was definitely evident. What a wuss.

"Doc, Cassidy was double-timing it the whole back. Covering five miles in that short of time makes a person a bit hotter than usual if you get my drift." Anderson helpfully explained for his fidgety teammate.

Frasier stared at Cassidy for a few more moments before nodding her head. "All right. But, you need to come back for a checkup in twelve hours. If you do have a bug, you'll be showing some symptoms by then."

Cassidy didn't bother hiding rolling her eyes before dashing out the infirmary. "Briefing in a half hour!" Larayne shouted after his XO.

As Frasier prodded the rest of the team, they began to muse among themselves quietly. "What's up with Faith today?" Anderson finally asked the obvious question as the doctor exited the immediate area.

Larayne shook his head to express his not knowing. "Beats me. She sure seems in a hurry for something."

Lynn snorted, causing the other two to direct their attention onto her. "Sorry, but doesn't it always seem the girl has something going on? She never sits still and when she does, it's usually not worth paying attention to."

The Colonel stood up from his spot on the bed and looked directly at Lynn. "I would suggest, Lieutenant, that you refrain from such negative comments about your superior officers in the future." Lynn nodded her head curtly.

As Larayne exited the room, Anderson stood up. "Do you not like Cassidy or something, Sander?"

Lynn looked coldly at her teammate. "I think Cassidy is a liability to the team. She's hot-headed and was given too much power too soon. She's barely out of the Academy and is already second-in-command of an SG-team." Anderson shrugged as Lynn stood up and marched out of the infirmary at that. As he leisurely strolled out as well, he couldn't help but feel sorry for Lynn. Jealousy was a pain at times.

* * *

**Thirty Minutes Later**

Cassidy stepped in the briefing room with the curious eyes of SG-10 following her every move. SG-1 had joined the briefing as they had just completed their mission as well. There was nothing like killing two birds with one stone. The X-5 had changed into BDUs and was sporting wet hair. This was due to her having had to take five cold showers in her time between her check-up and the briefing. And judging by all the testosterone in the room, she was going to need another five. Strategically, Cassidy placed herself between Sam and the door. Sam smiled at Cassidy, and then returned to her file in front of her.

"What's this about a weapon?" General Hammond announced his own arrival as he hurried into the room.

SG-1 deferred the floor to SG-10. "We received a hologram from Apophis, General. There was a lot of apocalyptic speak and emphasis on killing the entire people. We believe he succeeded."

"Any theories as to what the hell we're facing?"

Everyone was silent. It seemed ages passed before Cassidy finally spoke up. "I think it's zat technology."

"Like shoot 'em and electrocute 'em zats? Why do you think that, Captain?" Jack leapt into the conversation. He was just as interested as this weapon as anyone else.

Cassidy shrugged. "Just a feeling. I walked into a couple houses and noted the arrangement of clothing on household furniture. It appeared almost like people were there one moment and gone an instant later. I'm thinking a zat on a grander scale and without the three-step shooting. One-step disintegration."

"Zats disintegrate any object, CaptainFaith. There would be no clothes left."

She contemplated this for a moment. "Yes, but what if they refined the technology to hone in on human organic material. That would mean, effectively, they would be here one minute and gone the next."

"If this is true then we have a huge problem on our hands." Larayne said as he stared at his XO.

Lyn had been focusing more on Cassidy's seemingly antsy behavior than anything else. So, it surprised Cassidy when she spoke up. "It seems more like some half-assed theory than a plausible one."

Cassidy's eyes flew from staring at Daniel to glaring at Lyn. What was this woman's problem, anyway? If this were Manticore, she'd beat her subordinate up without a second thought. "Do you have any better ideas?" Cassidy shot back with a challenging tone.

Anderson's eyes grew a little wide at the underlying threatening tones Cassidy was able to put into her voice. For such a small woman, she was damn scary. Why he couldn't quite figure out. Maybe it was because of her time with the Black Ops. Whatever it was, it put him at a constant unease. Cassidy felt like a walking time bomb to him, no matter how well they got along otherwise.

After a short stare-off, it was Lyn who finally withdrew and shrugged. "No." She conceded and sat back in her chair. With Cassidy's hyperactive senses going in overdrive, it was all she could do from jumping over the table and slugging Lyn. Did she ever hate being in heat!

"We'll send a forensic team in to take some readings of the area. Whatever happened to these people, let's hope there's some trace evidence that will tell their story." General Hammond interrupted to feuding women after a wary glance at Larayne. SG-10's CO got the message. These women needed to get along or there was going to be hell to pay. "Dismissed." The General exited the briefing room before everyone else began to gather their things.

Cassidy shot an imploring look at Teal'c, who got the message. She needed help and fast before something worse than a small bickering with Lyn happened. Their partnership in this was going to be two-fold. He could help her through meditation while being the only male on the base that could fend her off. "Faith. I need to speak with you." Larayne said in an authoritative tone. Jack shot him a glance that told Cassidy this wasn't going to be a fun talk. The old guys always supported one another when they needed to.

The genetically-hyped up soldier watched as everyone filed out of the room and somehow managed not to follow all of the testosterone out. It wasn't until she and Larayne were alone that she realized the error in her judgment. If she couldn't contain herself, there was going to be a big problem. "Colonel?" She managed to spit out as she gripped a chair.

Larayne crossed his arms and stood five feet from her. Cassidy took a deep breath to suppress the urges she was feeling. It was going to be a long day. "What's going on between you and Sander, Faith? And don't give me any BS about you two bucking heads because you're female."

Cassidy took a couple of deep breaths to attempt to ease her nerves. Larayne probably thought she was buying time before replying. If only he knew. "I don't know. She's had a problem with me from the beginning. You should probably discuss it with her."

"I'm not. I'm discussing it with my XO. Have you and Sander had any unfortunate run-ins that I don't know about? Met up in a past life?"

She took a step back to put more distance between the Colonel and her. Not that it mattered. If she would allow herself to, she could have half his clothes off before he realized what was happening. "Colonel, I don't think this is the best ti-"

"I'll decide that, Captain. Now, answer my questions."

Cassidy closed her eyes and pled with her inner soldier to come fighting through. Why oh why did she have to have feline DNA! "Sander and I met one another here on base, sir. I have no prior experience with her. I don't know why she dislikes me. It feels like some sort of childish competition with her. I personally don't have any issues with her. She likes to instigate me and thus far I've handled it amiably." Her voice took a certain edge on the last part of her explanation.

Larayne's eyes changed slightly at the easy way Cassidy was able to make herself dominant in any situation. As he stared at the young girl, he finally began to realize he knew very little about her. Whatever made her suspicious to him all that time ago was beginning to tickle his senses again. Cassidy wasn't a normal soldier. There was something about her that made her special. But he was having one hell of a time figuring out just what that was. "Are you feeling all right, Faith?"

She had broken out into a cold sweat. It was hard to control herself! "No. I think I'd better go to the infirmary." Seeing a way out of the room, she took advantage of the opportunity and quickly walked out of the door. Teal'c was waiting by the elevator for her, a comfort she was grateful for.

As Larayne walked out of the briefing room, he saw the two just as the door's closed. After spending a few moments wondering what was with their new friendship, Larayne decided it was an appropriate time to go visit his old buddy Jack. Larayne never liked secrets and wasn't about to let one go under his nose.

"Are you feeling well, CaptainFaith?" Teal'c asked with an eyebrow raised. Cassidy didn't bother answering. He knew the answer. She had now begun to shake slightly under the pressure of containing her body. "What can I do to assist you?"

Cassidy bit her lip in concentration. The truest way of making her heat end wasn't exactly what she needed to get caught up in with Teal'c. Besides, she just needed to plug through the next eleven hours and she'd be fine. "I need to find something else to focus my energies on. Fighting or something."

Teal'c sensed that Cassidy wasn't going to be able to restrain herself as she usually did during their PT. Not that the idea of truly fighting this warrior wasn't tempting to him, but he was smart enough to know that his becoming injured would in no way benefit the young woman right now. "Perhaps we'd better go into a deep state of Kelnoreem."

"I can't do that!" Cassidy said a bit too loudly under the pressure from her body. It felt like she were about to explode.

The doors opened and she and Teal'c walked very fast-like to his office. "CaptainFaith, I will help you transition into your meditation. But it's going to require you to fully place your trust in me."

Cassidy looked warily at her new partner in crime. Trust wasn't exactly something she specialized in. Not when her entire life had been surrounded by those who had betrayed her. "At this point, I'm willing to do anything to keep the edge off."

The two entered his office and Teal'c locked the door behind him. Quickly, he placed a candle in front of the two of them and shut off all the lights. They sat opposite of each other and a few moments later began the early stages of entering into meditation. This time Cassidy tried harder than she had tried before. She had to or there was going to be repercussions. Damn genetics.

* * *

**Jack's Office**

"Frank, I think you may be reading into the situation too much." Jack said hesitantly after listening to Larayne's concerns on Teal'c and Cassidy.

Larayne stared hard at SG-1's CO. "Am I? Don't you think it's worth at least thinking about? Those two are inseparable! And apart from SG-1, Teal'c rarely spends his time with others. He's known for his antisocialism for God's sake!"

Jack leaned back in his chair. While that wasn't true, he still wasn't overly concerned with Teal'c and Cassidy having developed a certain rapport. Then again, it only benefited his endeavor to eventually get Cassidy onto SG-1. "What do you suggest I do, Frank? Forbid Teal'c from seeing Faith anymore? That'd be a mistake. If Teal'c needs a friend, then he needs a friend. I'm not about to argue!"

Larayne shook his head. How could he describe a feeling? "Jack, there's something that is not right about her. Don't tell me you haven't sensed it, because I know you have. You think it's power. That's why you want her on your team."

"Frank, I'm not going to deny that I feel as though Faith is a special woman, but I don't think she's harboring some deep-ridden secret that we should be overly concerned about. She's passed every test SGC has deemed necessary to give her. Isn't that enough?"

"No, it's not." SG-10's Colonel argued. "When I'm in Cassidy's presence, I feel almost overpowered. As if I would lose should she decide to fight me. Why do I feel intimidated by a young Captain? I'm an experienced man, Jack!"

"Are you sure you don't have a crush on her?" Jack jokingly inserted to alleviate the situation.

"Funny, but no. There is something about Cassidy that makes her different from us, Jack. I'm sure of it. I just have no idea what it is. All I'm asking is that you take Teal'c aside and make a few quiet inquiries. He will be candid with you. I'm sure of it."

"And what if we find out there's no big secret at all? What if we discover that it's all just a misunderstanding?"

Frank considered this. A part of him knew that he could not be wrong. He was convinced that there was something different about Cassidy. There had to be. "I'll leave her alone, of course. I'm not obsessed, Jack, just curious."

Jack nodded his head in agreement. "Okay. I'll make a point of running into Teal'c soon. I'll let you know what comes of it. For now, we've got a bigger concern running on this new weapon your team identified."

* * *

**Guest Office #5**

"Why have you not returned to Manticore, Lydecker?" An unknown voice demanded from the other side of the line.

Donald Lydecker stared at the speaker phone in distaste. "Because, I believe I've cornered one of the missing twelve. They're on this base. I can feel it."

"And how have you reached this conclusion?"

Lydecker leaned back in his chair and smirked at the phone. How little she knew about his kids. He knew them like the front and back of his hand. "It is no coincidence that 599 came to this base. He was attempting to reach out to someone here. And I think that someone is his fellow escapee. I just need a bit longer to draw them out."

"You have a week, Lydecker. After that you either produce the solider or get back to Manticore. I'm growing tired of these failed endeavors of yours." With that, the phone clicked off leaving the aging man to his thoughts.

"She's awfully demanding, isn't she?" Said the only other person from the room with a smile.

Lydecker looked up and nodded. "Demanding is an understatement. Lucky for us, we're a step ahead of the girl. You're sure this is the one?"

"It can't be anyone else."

"Well, lucky for us we've got you exactly where we need you. We're going to draw her out like a moth to a flame. We've got to make this concise and we've got to get the SGC on our side. That or else all of our efforts are going to be for nothing."

"Understood, sir."

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen will be appearing soon!**


	15. Honesty in the Face of Adversity

Hello! I bet y'all didn't expect me to EVER update this one, did you? To be honest I've been having a rough time since you've seen me last. First my computer kerplunked into virushood and then my beautiful baby sister died at fifteen. This writing is fully dedicated to her in every shape, way, and form.

Things are heating up a little bit for our girl now. I hope you enjoy the next chapter in the Perfect Soldier saga!

Peace,

Whit_  
_

* * *

_**Chapter Fifteen: Honesty in the Face of Adversity**  
_

_She was running. Running hard, fast, and smoothly. Cassidy could feel her body go alive as she exerted all of her gifts in this exercise. She could go as fast as she wanted and as freely as she wanted without a care in the world. It was here she didn't have to hide being her true self. But that came with a price. _

_Her prey was forty feet in front of her. He didn't have a chance. The security guard was on the ground and restrained before he could fully register what was happening to him. Her orders came rushing back to her and suddenly she didn't feel so free anymore. Eliminate the target._

A series of knocks at the door caused reality to come screaming back to her. The surroundings of Manticore were gone and replaced by the SGC. Teal'c stared at the door for a moment, and then went to see who was on the other side. Cassidy chose to remain on the door and attempt to control her body's shaking. Man did being in heat screw with her!

"Teal'c, I need to talk to you about…Cassidy." Jack changed the end of his sentence to a greeting as soon as he saw the small form on the floor. Cassidy sensed somehow that the sentence wouldn't have changed at all if she weren't there. Why did the Colonel need to speak to Teal'c about her?

Not that she had time to care. The ache was returning full blast and if she didn't get away from Jack very quickly he was going to end up being her victim. "Right, well, I'll leave you two to talk about things. I need a shower anyway." Teal'c raised an eyebrow as the young woman popped up quickly and headed straight for the door. She didn't make eye contact with either of them as she rushed out.

Her body felt like it was going to explode. She didn't feel like she was in control anymore. Her desire was outweighing her ability to make sane decisions. All she could focus on was finding someone to satisfy her. And so she headed for the area she knew she wouldn't have to look very hard to find someone: the men's locker room.

"She seemed rushed." Jack commented lightly as he found a seat in on of Teal'c chairs.

Teal'c nodded his head thoughtfully as he retrieved the candle from the floor and extinguished the flame. "Indeed, O'Neill, she did."

Jack wanted for more, but didn't receive any. Not that he was surprised. Teal'c wasn't exactly known for being chatty. "So, I've noticed that you two have gotten along lately."

Teal'c didn't immediately react to the question. "Yes. Cassidy has proven to be an able disciple for Kelnoreem and other Jaffa tactics. She is talented."

"Ah, that she is. Quite the talk of the SGC that young woman is. Makes you wonder what's going on beneath the surface, though." Jack didn't bother hiding that he was fishing for information. He didn't need to.

"Indeed."

Fabulous. Teal'c was going to make this hard. "Does she ever talk to you, Teal'c?"

Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "CaptainFaith and I have engaged in several conversations, yes."

"Anything that may give us some more guidance on the mystery that is Captain Faith?"

Teal'c stared at SG-1's leader for a moment. "I'm not sure what you are asking of me, O'Neill."

Jack sighed. If only he could have predicted that this wasn't going to go over as smashingly well as he had promised LaRayne. "Okay, Teal'c, I'll give it to you straight. LaRayne is concerned that Cassidy isn't everything that she presents herself to be. That she's hiding something from us. He's worried that she may be a spy or something from Apophis."

"Has CaptainFaith not proved herself worthy of her position?"

"It's not that, Teal'c. It's that she's too worthy. She's too good."

Another eyebrow raise. "Do we not want good people on our side, O'Neill?"

Jack was exasperated. "We do, Teal'c, but we're worried that perhaps she's not human. And if she's not human, then we need to know what she is. Cassidy may be an asset to us now, but what is going to happen in the future? Is she going to turn against us?"

"O'Neill, does the infirmary not have tests that can provide conclusions to that question?"

"Yes and she came back 100 human."

Teal'c nodded. "I do not believe CaptainFaith to be a spy, O'Neill. She is dedicated to this cause and will be part of our victory over the Goa'uld." Jack crossed her arms as he entered into deep thought about this response. As deep of thought as his mind would allow, of course, since the Simpsons had a nasty track record of popping in there occasionally. "I do believe there is something you should know, O'Neill, but I believe it should be revealed to you by young Miss Faith."

* * *

Cassidy lay on the floor for a moment recovering. How she had managed to find one person in the locker room was mystery enough, but she wasn't going to complain. All she knew is that the past twenty minutes had been enough for her to feel whole again. "That was fast." Cassidy said as she stood up and threw her clothes on hastily. 

Rygler smirked at her as he retrieved his pants from across the room. "I don't think you should be complaining much. It's not everyday that someone gets to be with a marine of my stature."

"Ha! I've been with civilians who have had more stature, Rygler. Don't get your position confused here. You were simply a means to an end, not the ultimate yearning."

The marine reddened a bit. "Listen, bitch, I wasn't the one who came in here looking for some action. Whether I was the person you came looking for or not, I was the one you got. You going to complain? Maybe I should go report this to your CO and see what he says about it?"

Cassidy had him pinned against the lockers before he knew was what happening. "Listen, Rygler, I'll give you a little leeway because you just did me a favor, but don't think for a moment you've got the upper hand here. If I hear so much as a whisper about what just transpired I will make it my life's goal to see that you are shipped somewhere cold and frosty. The only action you'll get there is the jollies of cleaning your gun every night. Do you get me or do I need to make it even clearer?" Rygler made a move to respond to her, but stopped when he realized just how strong she was. With narrowed eyes, he nodded his head. "Good boy." She put back on her Air Force Academy sweatshirt and walked to the door. It looked like she had just come from playing volleyball, not having sex with a random guy.

Cassidy quickly walked out into the hallway and realized to her dismay that she should have been more careful about her escape. There immediately before her were none other than Teal'c and Jack O'Neill. Both men stared at her quite interested in the place she had just come out of. "Do you hang out in men's locker rooms often, Captain?"

SG-10's XO didn't bother coming to attention. She was off-duty and so was Jack. "I was lost." She feigned innocently. To her disappointment, Rygler came walking out of the locker room two beats later. Luckily, the message she had sent him had been received loud and clear and he vacated the area instantly. "Luckily for me that marine pointed me in the right direction."

Jack knew there was more to the story, but didn't want to pry. She was off-duty. The woman was allowed to do anything she pleased. "Right, well, would you mind if Teal'c and I had some coffee with you? There are a few things I'd like to discuss if that'd be all right."

"Ummm… okay. Shall we go to your office?" She shot Teal'c a look, but didn't get a response.

"That would be fine."

The three walked silently the entire way. Each one was captivated by his or her own thoughts. Jack was wondering what exactly Cassidy was hiding from him as he now was convinced there was something huge lying below the surface. Teal'c was pondering how Jack was going to react to the knowledge. And Cassidy was quickly mapping out the closest escape routes in case Jack was leading her to a surprise ambush. She didn't like the tone of his voice or his body language. He felt threatened to her and that was not a good thing. What had she done to threaten him lately?

Five minutes later all three had some form of steaming beverage in front of them (Teal'c declined the invitation for coffee and instead drank hot chocolate) and were ready to get down to business. "So, what's up, boys?" Cassidy felt fully in control again. She never thought that she'd be able to thank Rygler for giving her sanity back. And while she would never have admitted it openly, he was a good mistake to have had. One that she enjoyed making that was for sure.

"Listen, Cassidy, there's been some questions about your unique abilities lately. People are taking notice of your abilities and are becoming extremely impressed with you. However, they are also wondering just how gifted you actually are. And whether those gifts are of a truly human nature."

"No dancing around the point I see." Cassidy started. "I'm confused, Jack. Were the results of my DNA test not distributed? I tested out fully human, which isn't a surprise, because I am human."

Jack sighed. Again with the damn DNA test. Why didn't he just argue that with LaRayne and stop there? "Perhaps you were trained by the Goa'uld to enhance your human abilities? That isn't something too extraordinary for them."

"I can assure you, Jack, that I have never been off this planet other than times when I've been with a SG-team." She noted his dubious look. "And I'd be willing to be put under the strictest of testing conditions to prove that. I don't want people thinking I'm some sort of assassin out to get them. Perhaps it would be better if I would transfer out of the SGC?" The last part wasn't a tactic to change the subject at all. The last thing she needed was attention toward her abilities. That was the sort of the thing Lydecker fed off of.

"CaptainFaith, I believe that our battle against the Goa'uld would be hindered without you in it." Teal'c commented. "I think that it may be wise of you to inform O'Neill of your situation. He is trustworthy."

Cassidy sighed. How had she managed to luck out on the heat thing, but not this? "Okay. Jack, there's something you need to know about me…"

* * *

"What can I do for you, Donald? It seems like even when you are on my base your presence is scarce!" 

Lydecker laughed in response. "Business always before pleasure, George. I'm afraid I've found one of my kids in your midst."

General Hammond suddenly had renewed interest in his old friend. "Really? I thought that the lead you had was cold. You've found one of your missing Deltas here on base?"

"Yes. And she's active on one of your teams."

This was quite unsettling to the SGC's CO. "Really? I'm surprised that they were able to evade all of our screening processes!"

Lydecker chose his words carefully. "To people who have been trained to evade the top security screenings in the world, the SGC is just another playground. The US military uses their technology first to train their people. We've just not experienced many situations where an AWOL soldier actually hides within the organization that they escaped from."

"Yes, that is quite curious. If someone were wishing to escape the military, it doesn't make much sense for them to re-enter into it, now does it?"

"I don't ask questions, George, I just retrieve my people." He slid a piece of paper across the desk to the General. "These are orders from the Pentagon to have Captain Faith detained immediately and placed in my custody for debriefing."

General Hammond didn't bother hiding his surprise. "Captain Faith is a delta? I suppose that makes a lot of sense in her abilities, but I would never have guessed!" He thought for a moment. "I think you're wrong on this one, Donald. Cassidy couldn't have been more than twelve when your kids initially went missing."

Lydecker took a deep breath in. He hated questions. There was not going to be any way he could explain things off to George without revealing the Manticore program. While Manticore wasn't government funded, it was of great interest to the US. Who could blame the military giant of the world for continually looking to things that would keep giving it an edge? Genetically enhanced soldiers were the US's answer to guerilla warfare and espionage. His position had been maintained within the US military for the only reason as to maintain contact with them. They were promised first bid because Manticore was on their soil. But George didn't need to know that. He didn't have high enough clearance for that sort of thing. "You can call the president if you'd like, George, but those orders are standing. Captain Faith is to be remitted to me immediately."

"I will call, Donald. In the meantime, you are in my facility and are under my jurisdiction. You are not to make any move toward Captain Faith until I've spoken with the president at length."

Lydecker nodded. There was no sense in causing a fuss about everything. He had one of his kids under his finger. She wasn't going to get away from him again this time.

* * *

"Genetically altered super soldier?" Jack repeated himself for a third time. How had he missed this? And better yet, why had this been allowed? Why was the government allowing this sort of treatment on fellow human beings? He knew that the US government was corrupted, but damn this was messed up! 

Cassidy nodded. "I'm sure you're wondering why the government would allow this to be done to kids. But what you have to understand is that they aren't looking at us like we're humans. We were grown in a laboratory. We don't have pure human DNA. They look at us like we're machines. And we're powerful machines. Imagine having even twelve of us serve on a team."

Jack sighed. She was right. It was sick, but she was right. His mind was operating a little clearer now, though the shock of it all remained. His old buddy had been right. Damn. "How did you get past the DNA test? Surely it would have picked up on all of your markers? It would be pretty hard to miss cheetah DNA I'm assuming?"

"That's a mystery, to be honest. Zac must have replaced my sample with a clean sample when he was here. Other than that, I don't have any clue."

"Do you believe you are in danger, CaptainFaith?" Teal'c asked thoughtfully as he considered the Lydecker situation more carefully.

"Absolutely. Lydecker knows one of us is here or he wouldn't have stuck around this long. It will only be a little time before he figures things out. The man is smart. It's risky for me to stay here in his mist. Very risky."

"What a mess." Jack commented as he leaned back in his chair. If Carter ever found out about this she was going to flip. Not that it would initially be moral. Jack figured that this was probably Sam's equivalent of a wet dream regarding the science. Now Daniel… Daniel would make sure there was hell to pay for anyone who had treated Cassidy like this. He was the team's moral advocate.

Teal'c shifted in his seat. "I have spoken to Bra'tac at length about this privately and we have come to a possible solution to your problem, CaptainFaith." Cassidy looked at him curiously. "We are willing to grant you asylum and help you join the free Jaffa's ranks. There may be few of us in number, but we are sure your presence will be a powerful addition."

The girl formerly known as X5-454 thought about this at length. "That's actually a good idea given the fact that nowhere on Earth is safe for me. And I'm committed to this cause. No matter how much of a pain in the ass Lydecker actually is, Apophis provides this planet a greater threat. But how could we follow through on something like that?"

"You'd go missing on a mission, Faith. We'd announce that you were KIA or AWOL. Easily done and no one would have to know." Jack's addition to the conversation surprised both Teal'c and Cassidy. Further discussion was, unfortunately, hindered by the phone on Jack's desk suddenly ringing. "Hello?" Jack answered. He listened for a moment. "Understood, sir. I'll notify everyone immediately." The room was silent as the other two waited for him to tell them what was going on. "We have another meeting in ten minutes. Both SG-1 and SG-10 are being called to come."

Cassidy frowned at this. Something was going to go down, she could feel it in her bones. Had Rygler talked? If he did, she'd find a way to take him out before Lydecker had a chance to ship her back to Manticore. No way in hell she was going to go down quietly. They waited patiently as Jack made a few phone calls to let Sam, Daniel, and LaRayne know about the change of plans, then all stood together and headed out the door. Her body tensed up as she prepared to defend herself if necessary. She hoped that she was wrong, but the feeling wouldn't disappear. Suddenly, Cassidy Faith felt like she was walking into the lion's den. And the problem was the head lion was really hungry.

**To be continued….**


	16. Exposure and Reintegration

Author's Note:

Sorry, y'all, for this taking so long! I hope you enjoy Chapter 16!

**Update 7/16/2007 - I'm in Africa right now doing volunteer work with HIV/AIDS patients! The good news is that I have PLENTY of time to update the story and have two full chapters nearly completed. The bad news is I may not be able to update until I return stateside August 14, 2007. It's less than a month's time! I'm trying my best to concoct schemes to get it online, but have been unsuccessful. Please know I haven't abandoned you!**

-Whit

**Chapter Sixteen: Exposure and Reintegration **

The air hung heavy in the briefing room. There was enough tension to cut with a knife, especially emanating off of the good General Hammond. His phone calls hadn't gone so well it seemed. Not only had his contacts within the Pentagon been short with him, but also the President himself had informed George to do as he was told. He didn't like the feel of the situation at all.

Cassidy was the last to enter the room behind Teal'c. The whispers in the room dissipated as the doors were closed and armed guards came into view. Immediately Cassidy's heart rate quickened. It didn't help that Lydecker was looking quite smug from his place at the table. Cassidy watched as an armed guard covered every exit. Not good.

Hammond cleared his throat hesitatingly. "This briefing has been called upon Colonel Lydecker's request. He has a few things he'd like to say."

Lydecker stood up while Cassidy noted with disdain the smile Lyn had on her face. "It would seem you all have an infiltrator on this base. Someone who is in your midst right now." Everyone looked around for a moment before gazes started to fall on Cassidy. The young soldier sat very still and gathered her energy. It was about to go down very fast. "X5-454, stand at attention." Cassidy didn't move. "454 do as you're ordered!"

Everyone stared blankly at Cassidy when she didn't budge. Daniel was the first to protest. "What is going on here? What is a 454? Why does this feel like the Inquisition?"

"X5-454 is an AWOL soldier that escaped from our base quite awhile ago with several other soldiers. We've finally found here. Isn't that right, 454?"

"My name is Cassidy Faith." Cassidy responded seething. How she hated this man!

"Captain Faith is fresh out of the Air Force Academy, Colonel. Are you sure you have the right person?" Sam inquired as she looked earnestly at her young friend.

Donald Lydecker was losing his patience. Damn George for making this a public affair! "I am positive, Major. The barcode on 454's neck will confirm who she is."

Anderson looked perplexed. He was sitting to the left of Cassidy and glanced at her neck, which was covered by her long brown hair. "She said that was a tattoo that she got with some other people on her team."

"A lie. 454's tattoo is genetically encoded into her DNA for identification. Removal is impossible, though I'm sure she has tried." Everyone but Jack and Teal'c began to grow uneasier in their chairs as they weighed what this might mean about their friend. "Perhaps you'll respond to the name they gave you? What was it? Edy?" Donald laughed. "Named after the guard who was especially nice to you kids, am I right? As I recall, 454, he was one of the many we had you kill during training."

"Kill? Training?" LaRayne asked slowly as he processed the information he was being given. This certainly hadn't turned out like he had anticipated it would!

"Your friend is not fully human. I will not say anymore. 454 you need to turn yourself over to my custody."

Cassidy felt like crying. Her team and SG-1 all were looking at her like she was some sort of monster. It didn't help the General Hammond appeared to be a little unsure as well. "My name is Cassidy." She stood up. "And you have no right to take me anywhere. I am a free citizen of the United States of America."

Lydecker smirked. "You are property of Manticore, 454. Whatever other illusions you hold will be rectified once we get back to base. Now we can do this either the easy way or the hard way. Which do you prefer?"

She stood in place for a moment as she analyzed her situation. There were four guards, all armed, in the room, but there were plenty of places she could avoid gunfire. "Go to hell." She said angrily as she moved quickly toward the guard behind her. Before he could react to what was happening, he was unconscious and she had his gun. She blurred to the next guard about when Lydecker was getting his senses about himself.

"Don't advance on her! Zap her!" The second guard was on the ground as a shot rang across the room. Cassidy ducked and watch the energy beam hit the wall. Lydecker's warning was ignored by the other two, who ran at her and were put out of business before they had much time to react. The now infuriated young woman turned toward Donald with her procured gun facing square on his head.

"I am not your property, Lydecker. Hands where I can see them!" She screamed as Lydecker shifted slightly. Judging from the various bulges on his body, Cassidy guessed he was carrying three different guns. She would go to hell before he would be able to use any of them on her.

She had been so intent on Lydecker's every movement that she had nearly forgotten to pay attention to her entire surroundings. Her senses were going haywire with the thought of recapture and she was doing her best to resist the urge to kill immediately. Manticore had taught her that. She was better than that, though. She had to be. "X5-454, put down your weapon." Lydecker said as if he still had the upper hand.

His eyes shifted slightly and Cassidy realized that someone was about to make a move behind her. Shoving Lydecker hard against the wall, she spun around just in time to get a punch to the face. Fazed only for a few moments, Cassidy stared at her assailant with little surprise. Lynn was looking rather concerned that her punch hadn't put Cassidy out of the game. "Transgenic waste!" Lyn screamed angrily. Again the woman made a move to punch Cassidy, but this time the soldier was ready. Grabbing Lyn's arm, she twisted it quickly behind the woman's back and threw her onto the table where the remainder of the team sat shocked.

"You're one of the non-trans soldiers, aren't you? You're one of the guards that sign up to see the sick, twisted things they do to us kids. You don't say anything at all but sit there holding your guns looking smug. Well, guess what, soldier! You aren't that good. You will never be that good. All you had going for you was stolen power and now I've learned that you were never a threat at all." Cassidy voice grew deeper with anger as she held the woman tightly against the table. This person, her supposed teammate, had been playing her all along. She had probably been what drew Lydecker to the SGC in the first place. It was because of her that her freedom was in jeopardy.

"You're better than that, Faith." O'Neill said gently as he stood with his hands clearly in view. It was obvious he didn't want to alarm the soldier with any sudden movements. "You don't have to kill her. You've proved your point." Cassidy pushed down on Lyn undeterred thinking about the pleasure she could derive from snapping the young woman's neck. "Cassidy, release her. We can't help you if you kill her. You know that. Do the right thing." For the first time, Cassidy looked up into Jack's eyes and realized that he wasn't looking at her like a freak. He looked at her like she was his child and that she had just made a minor mistake. It was like he understood what she was going through.

Cassidy weighed her options. She let out a big sigh. "You heard Lydecker, Colonel. I'm just a machine. I was built to kill. It's what I'm good at. No sense in rejecting what I am, right?" The way she calculated it, escape from the SGC was minimal. Having heard the gunshots, armed guards were probably already covering every exit and the facility would be in lockdown mode. She was stuck. Trapped in a reality she had prayed for so long not to come true.

O'Neill shook his head gently and stepped gingerly toward her. The rest of the group remained silent and stared blankly at the Colonel. Clearly everyone at the table trusted his skills in diplomacy and as a leader. "No, Cassidy, you aren't. You may not have been created in the traditional way, but you're still human. You still have human DNA. I know you're angry right now and hell I would be, too. If I were in your position, I'd want to kill everyone who had betrayed me as well, but you can't. If you want to serve your country, you can't do it as a murderer. Sanderson here is unarmed. Killing her would be pointless. You've proven she isn't a threat to you now. Let her go, Cassidy."

There were a few tense moments that hung in the air thickly. No one dared to breathe as the soldier decided what to do. Just as it was almost too much to bear, Cassidy let Lyn go and stepped back from her. The entire room seemed to share in a collective sigh of relief. But that moment was immediately gone when suddenly a burst of energy flew across the room and hit Cassidy full on. As the pain trickled throughout her body, she realized that someone had just used a ZAT gun on her. But who?

Using every bit of strength she had left, Cassidy worked through the pain, standing as calmly as possible, and stared down her foe. Colonel LaRayne looked shocked that the burst of energy hadn't knocked her unconscious. But before she could react, he shot her again sending her into a perpetual state of blackness. "Anderson, get the guards in here." He ordered as he stared at his fallen XO. There was going to be hell to pay from Jack later, but LaRayne knew orders were orders.

**Three Weeks Later  
_Manticore Facility_**

"What is your name?" The psychiatrist asked carefully to the obviously beaten young woman. Her wounds were healing rather nicely from the last round she had taken, but that wasn't a big surprise given what she was. This young soldier had been incredibly hard to break. She had surpassed many of the levels of tolerance that other soldiers succumbed to, but the doctor doubted she had made it past the last barrage. There was only so much the human mind could take, even if it was genetically enhanced.

The soldier stood at attention staring at the wall ahead of her. No direct eye contact to the superior office unless ordered. "My designation is X5-454, sir!"

"What is your position here, 454?"

"Deep recon and special assassinations, sir!"

"What is your motto?"

"Kill First. Never Ask. Sir!"

The psychiatrist nodded as he glanced sideways at the dozens of tests he was running simultaneously. None of them indicated she was lying about her responses. It would have been nearly impossible for her to fool all of the machines. "Excellent, 454. I believe we are ready to move on to the next part of the course."

Cassidy stood unmoved by the psychiatrist's words, though she knew what the next course was. "Yes, sir!" She barked in response.

After a few moments, a burly drill sergeant entered the room with two X-5's. "X5-454. Your training mission today will use live weapons. You are to procure one handgun and are to track down a target in the woods. You have precisely twenty minutes from now to make contact with your target, eliminate him, and return."

Cassidy didn't ask questions. She just reacted. Within seconds the X5 was out the door and heading off to hunt her prey.

**Two Months Later**  
_**Stargate Command**_

"Take your time, son." General Hammond said as gently as he could while standing next to Anderson. The boy was badly beaten and in need of immediate medical attention, but he had a message the General needed to hear.

"Apophis." Anderson squeezed out through the pain. "He's got SG-1. LaRayne is dead. Weapon nearly completed. Get them out." That was all the man could squeeze out before falling unconscious. George prayed as they wheeled Anderson out of the gate room that there was still hope.

**Six Hours Later**

"Mr. President, I don't care how many political favors you have to call in. With respect, sir, my best people are being held captive on a mission that they were withheld information from. "

George listened intently to the President. "No. We can't sacrifice any more teams to go across. She's the only one that can do it. We need a soloist and she's it." More arguing across the line. "Mr. President, I don't care how much money it will cost. SG-1 has saved this planet countless times. I believe it's time we do them the favor in return." Only a brief moment of silence commenced before George broke out into a smile. "Thank you, Mr. President. We'll be expecting her."

**Immediately Following**  
_**Manticore**_

"X5-454! You are to report to air pad one for immediate departure! Info will be given to you en route! Move out!"

Cassidy reacted swiftly taking off for the helicopter pad. She didn't need to pack anything. A trained soldier didn't have any baggage of any kind. At least, that's what they told her. A soldier was able to move onto mission at a moment's notice.

As promised, they didn't tell her anything until she was in the air. From the westward direction, Cassidy guessed that she was due for another rendezvous with some talkers over in New York, but she was wrong. The directional pattern was taking them more toward the middle of the states. Silently, the pilot handed Cassidy over a folder that read classified on it. With interest, she noted the US emblem. Manticore didn't operate as an official US agency! What was going on?

The more Cassidy read the more memories flooded back to her. She had been purchased by the United States government. She was due in Colorado Springs immediately to embark on a mission. The file didn't say what the nature of the mission was or where precisely she'd be working out of, but in her heart she knew. X5-454 was about to make a comeback to Stargate Command. The most obvious question, however, was why?

_**SGC**_

"General, the helicopter has just touched down. We'll have the soldier in your office within five minutes." George nodded in response. Part of him was disgusted that he had to purchase another human being for this task, but the part that was elated far outweighed that. Cassidy was freed from Manticore. He only hoped that he hadn't been too late!

X5-454 walked through the facility without batting an eyelash. The layout was the same. She met every glance with a hard stare that made even the most seasoned veteran overt her gaze. Cassidy wasn't the same person who had left the facility all those months ago. She was different. Striding into the General's office, Cassidy shut the door behind her and stood at attention. With her hands behind her back and eyes directly forward, she announced, "X5-454 reporting for duty, sir!"

"Captain Faith – "

Hammond was interrupted. "My designation is X5-454, sir!"

The General took a few moments to weigh this piece of information. Deciding it was better left untouched, he motioned for her to sit down, though she ignored him. "I'm sorry to have you return so soon and without a reception, but I need you to embark on a mission straight away."

"Wheels up whenever you are ready, sir!"

"SG-1 was taken captive over 24 hours ago by Apophis. We had one survivor gate back to inform us that the weapon Apophis has been working on is nearing completion and that it could have dire consequences on our planet. SG-1 is being held in Apophis's ship on the surface. Entry will be tricky, but can still be navigated. The problem is that we have only a five second window we can get you through to avoid you being vaporized. The gate on the other side has an energy shield that has five second lapses every 18 hours."

"Shouldn't be a problem, sir. Load me up and I'll be underway."

George stared at the young woman and nodded. "Glad you're on board, soldier." It nearly sent a shiver down his spine thinking how accurately that word described the person in front of him. Looking at her, he realized she could not be anything but a soldier. Cassidy was wearing classic army fatigues and combat boots. It'll be night there. We'll be suiting you up in camo and giving you night goggles. You'll need to avoid well-lit-"

Cassidy interrupted. "No need, sir. I can see in the dark."

George nodded. "Right. Well, go suit up and I'll have the Corporal give you the layout of the land." Cassidy saluted and immediately took off to prepare for the mission. George stared at the empty place where she had been standing and was unsure what to think. The young woman was not the person he had come to know any longer. If that short of time at Manticore had so affected her, what could a long-term situation be like? That thought did succeed in sending a shiver down the aging man's spine.

**Twenty Minutes Later**

"Good luck, X5-454." George nearly choked on his words. "Bring them home safely."

"This will be a successful mission, General." Cassidy promised before taking the safety off her gun and blurring through the gate. George watched amazed at the young woman's speed. He hadn't even had the chance to say goodbye.

* * *

**To be continued soon with Chapter 17!**


	17. Regularly Scheduled Programming

**Chapter Seventeen: Back to Your Regularly Scheduled Programming**

…

The Stargate sprinkled to life and everyone in the gate room held their breath expectantly. The threshold shot out and General Hammond felt his own heart skip a beat. Was she successful or wasn't she? Was this soldier, this man-made soldier, going to bring back his most prized team to him or was she going to fail in the task?

One thing was for certain: Cassidy Faith was on her way back. It was her code that allowed the Iris to come open; her code that promised a fleet full of snake heads weren't on their way. General Hammond could only pray that it was her code telling him it was all going to be all right.

The figures that rolled through were unclear at first. The commotion all happened so fast it was hard for his brain to register what the commotion was about. What he did understand was the order to shut the gate off, an order the Chief had no problem responding to. Five figures lay exhausted on the ramp unmoving. For a moment, General Hammond worried that they were dead. Upon reflection, he realized this was untrue as one of them had to be the orderer.

A sigh of relief escaped Hammond's lips as he saw someone's head lift from the ramp. Quickly as he could, the General raced down to the gate room to see for himself that SG-1 was okay. The gray-haired veteran entered through the doors just in time to hear, "Do you know how many Simpsons I've missed?! I'm going to have to pay a pretty penny to see those!"

Someone snorted. "Way to have priorities, Jack. We just almost died and you're worried about the Simpsons."

"I do have priorities. Simpsons are pretty high up there. Simpsons, beer, and fishing."

"What about saving the world, ColonelO'Neill? Is that also not a high priority?"

Silence hung in the air as everyone tested out their limbs to see if they were working. "I could do with a little less bruising sometimes."

Samantha nodded her head in response. "I'd agree with that, Colonel. Aren't we due for a vacation sometime in the near future?"

Cassidy stood up and looked around for a moment before her eyes met General Hammond's. She had been gone for 84 hours and still looked like she was fresh-eyed and bushy-tailed. Her stamina must be quite extensive, he mused, as the others looked like they had been put through the ringer. But then, they had all been held captive and she had been free, right? One look at Colonel O'Neill caused Hammond a bit of worry, however. He was looking at Faith as though she were a broken animal that shouldn't be walking around. Had she not gotten out unscathed?

The question evaporated as the young woman approached the General. SG-1 took their time standing up as Frasier fussed over them. "Mission Accomplished, General. When can I expect to be returned to home base?"

General Hammond took in a deep breath. "I'm afraid I don't understand the question, Captain."

"X5-454, sir. When will I be returned to Manticore?"

"Captain Faith, you won't be returning to Manticore."

The young woman stared blankly at him, though she didn't fool the aging man one bit. Behind those dark eyes was a mind that matched Carter's in every way, if not more. He had no doubt if SG-1 were paired with her they would be an unstoppable force in this universe. It was just convincing her to stay that could be the problem. "Sir?"

"The US government has purchased you, Captain Faith. You are now property of Stargate Command."

This answer seemed to satisfy her, a result that left a pit inside the General's stomach. She was supposed to be fighting for her right to choose, not accepting the fact that she had been purchased to do others' will. "Very good, sir. I will undergo Dr. Frasier's medical examination and will be available to you directly after."

Cassidy saluted before marching out of the room. A chill went down Hammond's spine. How the hell were they going to deprogram her?

**Briefing Room, One Hour Later**

Anderson stared across the table at his friend. He had been cleared to attend the briefing mostly because Frasier had taken pity on him and his curious ways. Anderson had needed to see Cassidy with his own eyes to believe that it was really her. He still wasn't sure what to think about her non-humanness, but he was willing to work for the greater good.

"And then the snake bastards threw us into a cell with minimal provisions. Didn't even have the courtesy to give us a bed. They interrogated each of us, but nothing too violent. This one," Jack gestured toward Faith, "showed up before they got the good stuff out."

General Hammond nodded. Jack's revisiting of the missions were always amusing to say the least. "Captain Faith?"

She stared at him defiantly. He stared back unmoved. Sam coughed a bit before nudging Cassidy a bit and drew back quite surprised when the soldier immediately tensed up. If there were armed guards in the room, they would have taken that as a sign to move a little closer to the soldier. As it were, they were outside waiting for the signal Hammond didn't want to provide them. "Cassidy?" Sam said quietly. She was a bit unsure of what was going on.

"CaptainFaith?" Teal'c asked with an eyebrow raised. Cassidy did not acknowledge any of them. Instead, she stared straight ahead.

"X5-454." Anderson finally said. He was clearly not happy with the situation. "Isn't that the designation they force you to respond to as if you're not human? The numbers they give you to convince you that you are nothing more than a machine? That you don't matter in the scheme of things? Isn't that right, X5-454?"

Her eyes connected with him for a moment and in that instant he found a little hope. He could have sworn a flash of anger had crossed the cool windows of Cassidy's soul. "My designation is X5-454." She said it to inform the others that was what she was to be addressed as, but her voice had a bit of defiance in it. "I crossed the gate at exactly 1604 during the five second lapse in Apophis' shielding. The gate was rather heavily guarded; I assume they were expecting the SGC to try to save their team. They were, however, not prepared for me.

"In their momentary confusion of being greeted with a single entity, I took down the two nearest guards and used their bodies as shields temporarily while I contracted their weaponry. The other five were down within three minutes. After gaining control of the area, I set up a perimeter of C4 explosives in anticipation of my return.

"I gained access after 63 minutes and forced ten more losses to the enemy. Once within the facility, I did not reach SG-1 until 80 hours later due to some extenuating circumstances. The rescue and extraction was completed with the aid of SG-1 within two hours and forty minutes. Upon entry of the perimeter, Daniel Jackson engaged the gate and we entered through just before the enemy soldiers opened fire. Immediately prior to stepping through the gate, I engaged the C4. Anticipated casualty for the enemy is a minimum of thirty."

"What happened in the 80 hours?" Daniel asked out of ignorance. The team had all assumed that Cassidy had only just arrived when she walked into the room and literally ripped the door off its hinges. Of course, they hadn't had much time for small talk and all – the Goa'uld were pretty pissed off and in immediate pursuit of them.

Cassidy did not hesitate, nor did she remove her eyes from the invisible point she had selected on the wall. "There was an unforeseen problem upon entry that had to be rectified before I could continue further."

"Such as, Captain?" Jack's voice was loaded with concern. Moments passed as she did not respond to him. "Oh for cryin!" He took a breath. "What caused the 80 hour delay, 454? Did you go for a walk in the park?"

"Apophis's security systems were more advanced than had previously been predicted. I allowed myself to be captured in order to assess the situation and gain control of the system. 78 hours were spent in enemy control."

Sam shifted in her seat. "But you look fine. They didn't harm you?"

Her question caused SG-1 to all look around at each other. They appeared as though someone had used them as punching bags several times, which wasn't far from the truth. Their eyes trailed back to the young woman sitting stiffly in her chair. She appeared unscathed. "Damage sustained was minimal."

Dr. Frasier cleared her throat. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to interject here. According to our reports, Cassidy endured a little more injury than is visible. From what I can guess, she has remarkable healing abilities that are programmed in with her DNA. Hell, with the iguana DNA I found, she'd probably be able to grow back a limb."

Cassidy shook her head. "Regeneration of major limbs has not been successfully performed with the X5 series, though earlier series showed promise. Human DNA thwarts the ability too much. Internal regeneration is enhanced."

"You know about all this?" General Hammond asked the soldier. She was revealing more to them now than ever before. Was it because they owned her?

"Of course, General. It is my prerogative to know my limitations and to the benefit of those I serve. Knowing how far I can push myself successfully can lend to the success of the mission."

"Well, in this case, you pushed them pretty far." Doctor Frasier interjected. "From what I can estimate, Captain Faith suffered extensive internal injuries while captive. Upon her return to us, she was still bleeding internally and had an erratic heart beat due to blood loss. There was also indication of some slight bruising around her face, which has now completely disappeared. Given Cassidy's regenerative qualities, my guess is that she was in a much worse state prior to her return."

Everyone looked expectantly at Cassidy, though she didn't move. "What did they do to you, Cassidy?" Jack asked with empathy in his voice. He had endured the snake head's wrath many times before and knew it wasn't a treat.

"I allowed myself to fall into their custody for the good of the mission, Colonel. It is irrelevant what they did to me during my time of captivity. What matters is the end result, does it not?"

"Not here, CaptainFaith. We are interested in the journey as well." Teal'c gazed upon her with a wealth of respect. To be a soldier who endured a severe beating as Apophis undoubtedly bestowed and still find enough inner strength to rescue others was astonishing for the most seasoned veteran. For such a young woman to do it was unheard of.

Cassidy's eyes broke off from the spot on the wall and met Teal'c gaze for only a moment. He held her stare for as long as she would allow. Somewhere in there was the person he had come to admire very deeply. "Apophis was rather curious about my regenerative traits that Dr. Frasier discovered. He found them after the first few hours of interrogation and began to experiment. At one point, he attempted to put me in the sarcophagus, but it didn't work."

"They only put you in the sarcophagus when they fear you're about to die or you're dead and they aren't done with you yet." Daniel said. He stared at the young woman and took a deep breath. Had he really recruited her for this? Was he the cause for her pain?

"That is correct, DanielJackson."

Jack asked the obvious question. "Why didn't the sarcophagus work?"

Sam responded. "Most likely, Cassidy's mixed DNA is to blame. The Sarcophagus was built to repair hosts, not to regenerate other animals. With Cassidy's ancestry, it most likely didn't recognize her as a viable candidate for regeneration."

"Apophis allowed me to rest in guest quarters with two guards. He assumed I was going to die soon anyway and was unsure as to why the sarcophagus was not able to work on me. I heard him speaking in the hallway to his assistants that if I survived he was intending to make me a host. He wanted to know if the Goa'uld could use me." She hesitated for a moment. "I do not know more as I fell asleep. The injuries were too much for me to sustain a conscious state. I do not know for how long I was tortured or for how long I rested. Upon regaining consciousness, I engaged the guards and used what knowledge I had procured of the enemy security systems to gain access to SG-1."

"Doctor, did you run all of the scans?" General Hammond asked tentatively as he thought about Cassidy's recollection of the events.

Doctor Frasier nodded. His worry was well within reason. If Apophis had successfully attached a symbiote to Cassidy while she had rested, there was no telling what sort of trouble they could be in. Cassidy was already powerful without the aid of a Goa'uld inside her. With one? Who knows what she might be capable of? "There were no traces of symbiote activity within Cassidy's body. It's safe to assume she was not made to be a host while she was off-world."

"Apophis will search for Cassidy to either be his mate or his own host due to her unique characteristics. He will be determined to see what happens if she is made to be a successful host." Teal'c offered the frightening possibility to everyone at the table.

"And what happens if Apophis finds out there's a whole farm of you guys up in Washington just waiting to be made into a Goa'uld army?" Anderson asked with a bit of disdain in his voice. He missed his friend, but he certainly did not want the world to end over her.

Cassidy looked at him. "He will be walking into his worst nightmare. An entire army of specially trained soldiers that have no problem killing anyone. Their objective would be to protect Manticore and Manticore's technology. I doubt Apophis would stand much of a chance."

"You seem pretty confident of that, _454_." Jack noted, illuminating her designation with a voice of disdain.

"May I be frank, sir?" Cassidy was addressing General Hammond as he was the most senior in the room, but was clearly not impressed by Jack's comment. Turning, she stared the Colonel down with cold, calculating eyes. "You trained for how long, Colonel? A few weeks? Special Ops training gave you a couple months? Granted, your career has been rather sparkled with impressive maneuvers but you've only been active for 25 years? Give or take?"

Colonel O'Neill nodded. "Give or take. What's your point?"

"I may be fresh out of your Air Force Academy, but I have been training as a soldier since I was able to walk. And prior to that I was being mentally washed with a variety of images and concepts that were meant to stimulate my intellectual development. I killed my first person at five, Colonel. Soldiers are taught intensively seven days a week, all hours of the day. Forgive me if I would think that Apophis in all his assumed power is not a match for an army of us."

"You escaped, Cassidy. Do you remember that?" Anderson stared across the table. "Do you remember being fed up with the abuse and the ill-appreciation? The need for freedom?"

Cassidy stared back at him. "I made a mistake when I was twelve and don't intend to repeat that mistake."

"Your quest for freedom was not a mistake, CaptainFaith. It was your right."

The soldier returned her gaze to the spot on the wall and did not acknowledge anyone. She had obviously grown tired of the situation. General Hammond sighed. "SG-1, you've been allotted some time off over the next few days. Your orders are to take X5-454 with you."

Cassidy stared back at the General. "Sir, I would prefer to remain on base."

Hammond shook his head. He had already anticipated this. "No, 454, it's a direct order. You are to accompany SG-1 to Jack's cabin."

The soldier did not protest further. She knew what a direct order meant. Jack nodded his head slowly. The reprogramming process was not going to be easy. Good thing they had Teal'c with them or he'd have to consider bringing along a nuclear bomb. X5-454 was not a being to be messed with.


End file.
